LT Features

The Next Three Days Packed Into Two Hours Russell Crowe… be still my heart.  Russell (or “Russy” as I like to call him) is one of those guys who, at first glance, you don’t think you’re going to love.  He seems a little too tough to be a nice guy and a little too nice to be a tough guy – a combination that would land most in the friend zone… But not my Russy!  The Next Three Days highlights all of Russell’s strengths by depicting him as a father and husband who is willing to do anything to pull his disintegrating family back together.  Proving that people will really go to the ends of the Earth and find strength they never knew they had for the ones they love, his character John is determined to break his wife out of prison with only three days to plan.  But, as most stories go, everything turns out to be much more complicated than he had anticipated.  I’m not sure which beat is stronger – the ominous ticking of the clock or the thumping of the audience’s collective racing heartbeat.  Wow, look who got all artsy for a second… No B.S. though, I really enjoyed this film.  Like I mentioned in my earlier blog about the movie, it is obviously an action-packed thriller but there are also the underpinnings of a great romantic classic.  I was pretty much sold on the flick after the press screening, but then I went to the Press Junket and got myself all worked up over it again.  Egypt, our delightful interviewer, spoke with Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks and the film’s Director Paul Haggis all about the movie and even threw in a couple of my questions too!  Being the curious cat I am, I wanted to know if Russell thought he would be able to take the same actions his character did if he were in a similar scenario and he said absolutely.  Everyone in the room sighed when Russell said (in his dreamy Australian accent) that he would do anything for his wife.  He also said the biggest risk he’s ever taken for love was to get married – a comment that really made him crack up.  Egypt also relayed my question to Russell about the distinctly different emotions he had to display throughout the film – both great strength and courage but vulnerability and fear at the same time – and asked him if it was difficult to keep the polar feelings well balanced.  For his answer on that doozy you’ll have to watch our clips online… I must have already had Daylight Saving Time on my mind because I wanted to know how Paul was able to incorporate timing – such an integral character in the film – into the storyline without overpowering the audience, and if he ever ran into problems with continuity or ensuring that the timing was plausible since the viewer was so constantly aware of it’s presence.  I also wanted to know if it was difficult for him to write a film where the viewer is cheering for the “bad” guy since there is a feeling of sympathy for John and Lara, and the audience is rooting for them to accomplish their goal of freedom.  Those answers can also be found in the clips. One question we didn’t get to though was if Paul thought the film would inspire other inmate’s families to take matters into their own hands.  Do you all think it will?  Leave a comment below letting me know your take on that loaded question. And one final anecdote on the Press Junket – I ran into fellow native New Yorker and film aficionado Ben Lyons (he is E! News’ number one movie man) and we chatted about growing up in the city (stalker alert: I used to watch his High School basketball games) and since Ben has seen all of the latest releases I asked him – what else – exactly how much nudity is involved in Love and Other Drugs… I’m sure you’ll find this hard to believe since I am 100% professional, but I’m really only interested in seeing the movie if it involves some major Jake Gyllenhaal boo-tay.  I’ll leave you on that note. L.T.

The Next Three Days Packed Into Two Hours

Russell Crowe… be still my heart.  Russell (or “Russy” as I like to call him) is one of those guys who, at first glance, you don’t think you’re going to love.  He seems a little too tough to be a nice guy and a little too nice to be a tough guy – a combination that would land most in the friend zone… But not my Russy!  The Next Three Days highlights all of Russell’s strengths by depicting him as a father and husband who is willing to do anything to pull his disintegrating family back together.  Proving that people will really go to the ends of the Earth and find strength they never knew they had for the ones they love, his character John is determined to break his wife out of prison with only three days to plan.  But, as most stories go, everything turns out to be much more complicated than he had anticipated.  I’m not sure which beat is stronger – the ominous ticking of the clock or the thumping of the audience’s collective racing heartbeat.  Wow, look who got all artsy for a second…

No B.S. though, I really enjoyed this film.  Like I mentioned in my earlier blog about the movie, it is obviously an action-packed thriller but there are also the underpinnings of a great romantic classic.  I was pretty much sold on the flick after the press screening, but then I went to the Press Junket and got myself all worked up over it again.  Egypt, our delightful interviewer, spoke with Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks and the film’s Director Paul Haggis all about the movie and even threw in a couple of my questions too!  Being the curious cat I am, I wanted to know if Russell thought he would be able to take the same actions his character did if he were in a similar scenario and he said absolutely.  Everyone in the room sighed when Russell said (in his dreamy Australian accent) that he would do anything for his wife.  He also said the biggest risk he’s ever taken for love was to get married – a comment that really made him crack up.  Egypt also relayed my question to Russell about the distinctly different emotions he had to display throughout the film – both great strength and courage but vulnerability and fear at the same time – and asked him if it was difficult to keep the polar feelings well balanced.  For his answer on that doozy you’ll have to watch our clips online…

I must have already had Daylight Saving Time on my mind because I wanted to know how Paul was able to incorporate timing – such an integral character in the film – into the storyline without overpowering the audience, and if he ever ran into problems with continuity or ensuring that the timing was plausible since the viewer was so constantly aware of it’s presence.  I also wanted to know if it was difficult for him to write a film where the viewer is cheering for the “bad” guy since there is a feeling of sympathy for John and Lara, and the audience is rooting for them to accomplish their goal of freedom.  Those answers can also be found in the clips.

One question we didn’t get to though was if Paul thought the film would inspire other inmate’s families to take matters into their own hands.  Do you all think it will?  Leave a comment below letting me know your take on that loaded question.

And one final anecdote on the Press Junket – I ran into fellow native New Yorker and film aficionado Ben Lyons (he is E! News’ number one movie man) and we chatted about growing up in the city (stalker alert: I used to watch his High School basketball games) and since Ben has seen all of the latest releases I asked him – what else – exactly how much nudity is involved in Love and Other Drugs… I’m sure you’ll find this hard to believe since I am 100% professional, but I’m really only interested in seeing the movie if it involves some major Jake Gyllenhaal boo-tay.  I’ll leave you on that note.

L.T.

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