The Word Cloud

Just before Christmas I went to a preview screening of The Next Three Days. Due to be released nationwide on 5th January 2011, The Next Three Days is the latest film by writer-director Paul Haggisstarring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks.

The story follows teacher John Brennan (Crowe) who, when his wife is convicted for murder (I’m not going to tell you if she did it – that would spoil the film for you!), sets out to clear her name.  When his attempts fail, and she tries to take her own life, he decides to break her out of prison.

What then follows feels rather like a fly-on-the-wall eye view of John Brennan – an everyman with no special prison-breaking skills – plotting and preparing for the prison break also trying to keep life as ‘normal’ for his young son Luke (Ty Simpkins) as possible.

As a thriller it’s perhaps a little predictable, but as a character study of a man driven to an extreme act in order to protect the woman he loves, I think it’s an engaging drama with plenty of suspense.