The Next Three Days Review (Spoilers) and event report

After walking a cold block from our parking garage to the Ziegfeld Theater, we entered and found our two tickets to the film and the after party at the “Will Call” table. We settled comfortably in the great seats provided by the event coordinator Danielle and Keith Roger, and waited for the film to begin.

You are immediately intrigued by the opening scene where Russell, driving a car, keeps looking to his right and down. This is not explained at that moment, but becomes clear later in the movie.

From scenes of a happy family of three enjoying dinner out and then at breakfast together, we move quickly and violently to a house invasion by the police. Laura Brennan (Elizabeth Banks – so good)  is quickly accused of murder, and is arrested and hauled away, leaving John (Russell) shouting that they must stop, and their dear 3 year old son sitting in his chair crying over and over again – “Mommy, Mommy.” It is a heartbreaking scene.

From then on, we see a man determined to free his wife at any cost. After he learns that an appeal will take forever to go through the courts, (His attorney is played nicely by Daniel Stern), he sits at his computer, Googles “getting out of prison” and begins his strange and gripping story.

He first meets an ex-com, Damon, played by Liam Neeson, who has written a book about the subject and counsels him on all he must do to make his plan a success. “Key” is one of the words Neeson uses, and “key” in reality appears later in a pivotal jail scene. The other things Damon tells him is the need for good passports, new IDs and  lots of money. Brennan, a Community College teacher, is not wealthy, nor are his brother and parents (Played by Michael Buie, Brian Dennehy (Great, as usual), and Helen Carey (who brings warmth and love to her role) – so he must look for other ways to get the cash he needs. He gets a gun – a fateful decision – and then moves, through RZA, a drug dealer, into the world of easy drug money. There is a very violent scene that gives him the needed cash, but that scene also changes Brennan forever, as the title of the original French version of the movie – Anything For Her – implies.

Brennan’s plotting and planning are laid out for us through the rest of the movie. Some scenes stand out – getting Laura out of prison, his obsession with the time needed for each step – thrown off when Mrs. Brennan is moved to another prison – and the intricate and perfectly filmed (by cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine). car chase and route on their way, hopefully, to freedom.

Look for a button, a medical supply truck, and some handwriting on Brennan’s wrist – all important to the plot.

Highly recommended

On to the after party.

After waiting in the bitter wind outside the Oak Room for 20 minutes or so, we were allowed inside. It was crowded chaos! Everyone there was a foot taller than I am, so I felt like one of the little people in Gullivers Travels among the giants. The models were particularly tall, and everyone was toned and perfect – men and women.

We spotted Gerard Butler, Adrian Brody, Viola Davis among the celebs, and tons of film executives – the key ones from Lionsgate. Most of the excellent cast of the film were there as well.

Russell was tucked away in an alcove, well protected by Lionsgate staff, Keith, his PA extraordinaire, Ray DiPetro and Terry. I was able to get a few words in with him, but I think he, as well as me, was eager to get out of there and breathe and get some rest.

My thanks go to all of them for giving us yet another memory to treasure. How proud I am to be called his friend.