****
Dir. Paul Haggis
I saw this film when it first came out, and forgot how good it was until I watched it again on Netflix earlier today. Writer/director Paul Haggis (Crash) delivers a crime drama with a clever and intriguing plotline in The Next Three Days, moreso than a number of other modern thrillers have been able to achieve.
The story is centered around an English teacher named John Brennan (Russell Crowe), whose life is turned upside down when his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks) is arrested for the murder of her boss. Left to care for their son by himself, John longs for his family to be reunited. Positive of Lara's innocence, this upstanding middle-class citizen will use any means necessary to liberate his beloved wife from a lifetime behind bars.
Upon seeking the advice of Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson), an escape artist turned author, he is given this warning prior to embarking on this mission:"But before you do anything, you have to ask yourself if you can do it. Can you forget about ever seeing your parents again? Can you kill a guard? Leave your kid at a gas station? Push some nice old lady to the ground just because she gets between you and the door? Because to do this thing, that's who you have to become. And if you can't, don't start, 'cause you'll just get someone killed." With these words in mind, he trades his life for that of a vigilante, risking everything he has left to save Lara.
Haggis is a master storyteller, with a style of filmmaking that is more independent than many other directors of this genre. This is a thriller with great depth to its characters, and a story much less outlandish than a number of other crime dramas. Not only are we able to sympathize with the conflicting emotions of Brennan, but viewers also continually gain insight into his motivations as the film progresses. The way Haggis develops the relationship between him and his son is brilliant, presenting numerous psychological themes throughout.
There is also an excellent display of cinematography in this picture to enhance the story. We see multiple close-up shots, which allow us to examine the emotional state of each character, and put less emphasis on the overall action. Aspects like these are the mark of a great filmmaker. Rather than follow the standard structure for a Hollywood thriller, Haggis' style offers a unique approach which focuses more on story and character development than anything else. The pacing is just right, and Danny Elfman's score correlates well with the mood.
Other noteworthy thrillers I've seen in recent years include Limitless (Neil Burger, 2011), Source Code (Duncan Jones, 2011), and Deja Vu (Tony Scott, 2006). What stands out about The Next Three Days is Haggis' effective use of characterization and film noir elements, all which culminate into a unique and intriguing story which keep viewers engaged up until the very end.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
The Importance of Fiction
With garbage franchises like Twilight and The Hunger Games, I feel that the nature of fictitious novels and films is steadily declining as a result of society's poor taste and low expectations for this genre. Over the last couple weeks at NCSU, I've engaged in some very compelling discussions in class regarding this subject.
In order to understand the significance of fiction, we must first establish a clear and precise definition for it. Is fiction nothing more than made-up tales presented through the minds of imaginary characters, allowing us to escape from the constraints of reality? Or does this medium of storytelling serve a greater purpose?
The first novel we've been reading in Studies in Fiction is Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, a literary piece which has stood the test of time as one of the most definitive works in this genre. However, in spite of its legacy, this book is filled with numerous inconsistencies. There are time gaps, unnecessary repetitions, and characterization choices which leave readers puzzled. These things make us wonder exactly what intentions Defoe had when he wrote it. We know from the preface that he used Crusoe's character to project his ideas about the world and the direction of society; which to me should be the goal of every great writer.
At the time when Robinson Crusoe was written, the very concept of a fictional novel was a radical concept in it of itself. Although we as humans have always had an innate desire for storytelling, this particular medium had not yet developed. Furthermore, novels acquired just as much controversy as movies would at the birth of the film industry. The risk Defoe and other writers took at this time, and still take today, points to the fact that fiction is an important genre which allows us to reflect upon the questions that we all long to answer.
Let's look at one of my favorite pieces of fiction in both literature and cinema: Cormac McCarthy's best-selling novel No Country For Old Men, adapted into an Academy Award Winning film by Joel and Ethan Coen. Not only is this story a grotesquely intriguing tale of vengeance and mystery, but the manner in which it is presented enables us to examine the depths of our capacity for evil.
A common aspect of fiction is the idea that there are two sides to us all, which is explored in McCarthy's novel and the Coen Brothers' film. The moral implications of us possessing a split personality can be portrayed in numerous ways, as seen throughout a multitude of fictitious works. Because fiction has such an appeal to a wide range of audiences, writers and filmmakers are able to use it as a gateway to express their ideas regarding the nature of good and evil, along with a variety of other subjects.
My concern is that because so much of our society is easily wooed by anything (Hunger Games has the linguistic level of a 12 year-old), I'm afraid people fail to recognize the power of this genre. Too many make a conscious decision to turn their minds off when going to the movies or reading books, which lowers the bar for quality fiction.
Hence, my hope is that writers won't allow society's idea of good fantasy (crappy vampire romance), and good science fiction (a poorly written futuristic Lord of the Flies), to influence them.
In order to understand the significance of fiction, we must first establish a clear and precise definition for it. Is fiction nothing more than made-up tales presented through the minds of imaginary characters, allowing us to escape from the constraints of reality? Or does this medium of storytelling serve a greater purpose?
The first novel we've been reading in Studies in Fiction is Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, a literary piece which has stood the test of time as one of the most definitive works in this genre. However, in spite of its legacy, this book is filled with numerous inconsistencies. There are time gaps, unnecessary repetitions, and characterization choices which leave readers puzzled. These things make us wonder exactly what intentions Defoe had when he wrote it. We know from the preface that he used Crusoe's character to project his ideas about the world and the direction of society; which to me should be the goal of every great writer.
At the time when Robinson Crusoe was written, the very concept of a fictional novel was a radical concept in it of itself. Although we as humans have always had an innate desire for storytelling, this particular medium had not yet developed. Furthermore, novels acquired just as much controversy as movies would at the birth of the film industry. The risk Defoe and other writers took at this time, and still take today, points to the fact that fiction is an important genre which allows us to reflect upon the questions that we all long to answer.
Let's look at one of my favorite pieces of fiction in both literature and cinema: Cormac McCarthy's best-selling novel No Country For Old Men, adapted into an Academy Award Winning film by Joel and Ethan Coen. Not only is this story a grotesquely intriguing tale of vengeance and mystery, but the manner in which it is presented enables us to examine the depths of our capacity for evil.
A common aspect of fiction is the idea that there are two sides to us all, which is explored in McCarthy's novel and the Coen Brothers' film. The moral implications of us possessing a split personality can be portrayed in numerous ways, as seen throughout a multitude of fictitious works. Because fiction has such an appeal to a wide range of audiences, writers and filmmakers are able to use it as a gateway to express their ideas regarding the nature of good and evil, along with a variety of other subjects.
My concern is that because so much of our society is easily wooed by anything (Hunger Games has the linguistic level of a 12 year-old), I'm afraid people fail to recognize the power of this genre. Too many make a conscious decision to turn their minds off when going to the movies or reading books, which lowers the bar for quality fiction.
Hence, my hope is that writers won't allow society's idea of good fantasy (crappy vampire romance), and good science fiction (a poorly written futuristic Lord of the Flies), to influence them.
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