The Next Three Days DVD

The Next Three Days was released around the nation on November 19th, 2010, to over 2,500 theaters.  Directed by Paul Haggis, the film stars legendary Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, and Olivia Wilde.  It also features Jonathan Tucker and Lennie James.  Distributed by Lionsgate Films, The Next Three Days is a dramatic thriller, remade from a French film with the title “Pour elle”, or For Her.

The Next Three Days DVD

The story of The Next Three Days follows a married couple, Lara and John Brennan, played by Banks and Crowe, respectively.  Lara finds herself convicted of a murder, and her status as guilty or innocent remains unclear.  What is clear is that she is not happy in jail, and has been sentenced to 20 years.  Upon hearing this tragic news, she attempts suicide, worrying John and motivating him to come up with a plan to get her out of jail. He decides to break her out himself, which leads him to Neeson's character, an ex-con from Brooklyn
who is supposed to be an expert on breaking out of jail.  John learns what he needs to know to break his wife out of prison and flee the area, so the plot then becomes an ethical dilemma.  Can he really do it?  Only one thing is clear; John believes that his wife is innocent, and he wants her out of jail.  We come to find that he is willing to give it a try when we follow him on a journey of preparation, involving learning how to pick locks and mapping an escape route.

While The Next Three Days is a story about fighting against impossible odds, it's also a love story.  Banks’ performance is praised, as her ability to transition between a professional businesswoman and a woman linked to murder is quite believable.  Crowe’s character has been accused of being one dimensional, which is more a fault of the writing than any acting choices.

The Next Three Days DVD, also distributed by Lionsgate, will be released on March 8th, 2011.  It will feature a widescreen version of the film, as well as Spanish and English subtitles.  Closed captioning is available for the hearing impaired.  The Next Three Days runs at approximately two hours and has been rated PG-13 for violence, drug material, language, some sexuality and thematic elements.  The DVD release will
include some special features, including a full commentary and behind the scenes look at the making and production of the film.

Abi Motala