Russell Crowe is desperate to break his wife (Elizabeth Banks) out of jail in "The Next Three Days," a 2010 film directed by Paul Haggis.
Crowe and Banks play John and Lara Brennan, a happily married couple with one child. Lara is arrested and convicted to life in prison for murdering her boss, though she claims she didn't do it. A woman brushed by her as she was entering the parking lot where her boss was found dead. However, because her prints were on the murder weapon and blood was on her coat, the jury votes guilty.
A few years pass and John and Lara hold onto hope that she will win her appeal, but she doesn't. John realizes that he has no choice but to break her out of jail. His timeline is shattered when he learns that she's being transferred to prison soon, giving him only three days.
Wonderful, action-packed and gut-wrenching story of a normal man who is so desperate he nearly goes insane. Crowe is remarkable as John,a teacher who talks about Don Quixote living in a world of his own reality. He soon must practice what he preaches as he walks the mean streets in order to work out a careful plan, even as he cares for his young son Luke (Ty Simpkins) who has become more and more withdrawn and angry since his mother's imprisonment.
Beautifully directed by Paul Haggis, The Next Three Days keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout -- you're never sure what's going to happen or how far John will go. There is a wordless scene between John and his father (Brian Dennehy) that will break your heart.
Besides Crowe, Banks, and Dennehy, the excellent cast also includes Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde, and Jason Beghe. Don't miss this.
