The Next Three Days

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No matter how hard I try to dislike Russell Crowe, it's becoming increasingly impossible to find a bad Russell Crowe movie. I don't understand it. My life revolves around hating him, his public persona, his arrogance - yet for two hours every year he manages to captivate me.

Then as soon as the film credits begin to roll, it's like my brain wipes clean the love and respect I've just had for him and I go back to "disliking that Crowe" as if nothing ever happened.

This is a rather long winded way of saying the caliber of Crowe as an actor is unparalleled. Whereas I will happily sit through multiple woeful cinematic outings from Ben Affleck and George Clooney yet still continue to adore those charming dudes - Crowe somehow manages to let the work speak for itself. 

He is so good, his public persona bears no influence on his films, his characters or his intensity. It's for this very reason Crowe should rightfully be considered one of the greatest actors of our generation.

The Next Three Days is yet another outing from Crowe, which in the hands of any other "Name Actor" would very likely deliver some "Straight to DVD" results. Yet Crowe delivers another captivating performance which keeps you enthralled the entire time.

The setup is actually pretty simple. Life seems perfect for John Brennan (Crowe) until his wife, Lara (Elizabeth Banks), is arrested for a murder she says she didn't commit. Or did she?

Three years into her sentence, John is struggling to hold his family together, raising their son and teaching at college while he pursues every means available to prove her innocence. So he decides to risk it all in an epic effort to set her free and reunite his family once again.

The Next Three Days is essentially a "Reverse PrisonBreak" movie - it's just implausible enough to be fun and action packed, yet plausible enough to keep you on the edge of your seat and yelling "No, don't go there! Go back!" right until the final credits roll.

A box office flop across the world, The Next Three Days is certainly a sign that the public has latched onto their perception of dislike for Crowe - but don't be fooled, this guy is as consistent a performer as any other at the top of their game. 

So, in the future, forget about your thoughts on "Crowe : The Man" - and have faith in "Crowe : The Actor". If there were more films and performances like this, the world of cinema would be a much better place.

DVD Special Features

There are quite a few special features on offer here (which is a little surprising considering how poorly it performed). But the film looks great on Blu Ray and the extras included here are quite fun.

There are Deleted and Extended Scenes, a Bump Key Video, Cast Moments, a "Men of the Next Three Days" and "True Escapes for Love" featurette and a commentary (as per usual).

For those who still aren't convinced - even if you aren't a fan of Crowe - The Next Three Days is worthwhile checking out purely for the fact that the super stunning Olivia Wilde pops up from time to time.

Conclusion - Movie: 85% Extras: 65%