The Next Three Days Directed by: Paul Haggis Starring: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson Rating: NR Release Date: November 19, 2010
TRAILER SCORE: 7/10
MY THOUGHTS: Imagine if Prison Break and The Fugitive had an illegitimate lovechild and you've got the got the latest makings from self-righteous Academy Award winner Paul Haggis. The film really doesn't look like it's throwing anything new into the works except maybe some people might classify it as "daring" by throwing a possibly wrongfully accused woman into the slammer rather than your typical possibly wrongfully accused man. That being said, not even that kind of "twist" can save this from the inevitable formula. However, one of the things that this movie does have going for it is its cast. Phone throwing tantrums aside, Russell Crowe is usually a pleasure to watch (give or take a Robin Hood, of course) but I have hope for him here. Elizabeth Banks is one of those actresses who excels at both comedic roles a la Role Models as well as dramatic ones like in Heights. That being said, I honestly feel like she could bring something new to the role or at least make it more watchable. Finally, Liam Neeson's involvement is sort of random, but definitely a plus. Even if I'm not a huge fan of Haggis's contrived morality plays, I'm hoping for something different out of this one.