The Next Three Days

Filmmaker Paul Haggis serves up a heavy-handed morality tale in The Next Three Days, revolving around a devoted husband struggling to hold his family together while his wife is incarcerated for a crime he believes she didn't commit. Hot-headed Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) openly loathed her boss, so naturally she's the prime suspect when he's found murdered in a Pittsburgh garage. On the basis of circumstantial evidence, Lara is convicted of homicide, but her husband, John (Russell Crowe), steadfastly maintains her innocence. After a despairing Lara attempts suicide once the appeals process is exhausted, John—busy taking care of their young son—realizes he must come up with a plan to free her before she's transferred to a state prison. The effort involves working with a street-smart ex-con named Damon (Liam Neeson), obtaining fake passports and IDs, fashioning a “bump key,” and learning about explosives on YouTube—all with the clock ticking, as John desperately devises an intricate, elaborate scheme (that will include figures ranging from dastardly drug dealers to a stunning single mom played by Olivia Wilde) to help Lara escape. While Haggis paces this like an edge-of-your-seat thriller, the pretentious plot—adapted from France's 2008 film Pour Elle—is implausible (John actually plasters an entire wall at home with his extensive research, maps, and plans). Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary (by director Paul Haggis, producer Michael Nozik, and editor Jo Francis), a “making-of” featurette (19 min.), deleted scenes (13 min.), a “True Escapes for Love” featurette on real-life events (8 min.), “The Men of The Next Three Days” cast segment (7 min.), extended scenes (4 min.), an outtake reel (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an uneven film.] (S. Granger)