Nothing Left to Lose in Pittsburgh
The premise sounds promising enough: Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) is wrongfully convicted of murdering her boss and sentenced to life in prison. So her husband, John (Russell Crowe) decides to bust her out.
Disappointment Number One
It’s just that I thought that Liam Neeson was going to help him do it. That’s because the movie’s trailer prominently shows Crowe consulting Neeson (whose character has successfully escaped incarceration numerous times) about the logistics of prison escapism. But that scene in the trailer? That’s all there is. A brief (two minutes?) and pointless cameo during which the master spends his time wrestling with his Irish accent and trying to sound like he’s from Brooklyn.
Disappointment Number Two
I think The Next Three Days is supposed to be a thriller, but I spent too much time feeling bad for everyone to get excited. It’s too subdued to be suspenseful; too sad to be fun. Watching John muddle through his escape preparations is interesting enough, but since he doesn’t tell anyone what he’s planning, the audience is also kept in the dark. Between times, he tries to be a good dad to his traumatized 6-year-old son.
Surprisingly, the acting is pretty good.
I typically can’t abide Russell Crowe, especially not when he is being all macho and heroic. Gouge my eyes out if you must, just don’t make me watch Gladiator or, god forbid, Robin Hood. In this movie, he’s more of a befuddled, introverted type—a literature professor at a community college—which is easier to stomach. He’s actually a little bit endearing.
Elizabeth Banks plays two roles in this movie: At the beginning, she’s outspoken and confrontational, intentionally provoking her sister-in-law and screaming at her boss (the one who gets murdered a few minutes later). The next time we see her, three years later, she’s a suicidal wreck, with none of her old spunk—or makeup or highlights (prison is so much more cruel for a pretty lady).
While affecting in their way, both of these people are far too vulnerable to be bad-ass, which is kind of how I want the main characters in a thriller to be, at least at some point.
It’s not Pittsburgh’s fault.
The most pleasurable thing about The Next Three Days is Pittsburgh, a city I have never visited but that I’ve come to love from the surprising number of movies that are filmed there. It’s industrial, somber and Rust Belt-y, but still manages to be cozy and welcoming. Plus, it’s visually stunning, with all those bridges and that crazy tram.
