RichC2

Remake of the 2008 French film Anything for Her (Vincent Lindon, Diane Kruger) starring Russell Crowe, Liam Neeson and Elizabeth Banks. Directed and (I'm assuming) adapted by Paul Haggis.

Looks entertaining, good to see Banks in a semi-"big" role.

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Here is the trailer for the French original:

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Seems like they changed a lot... oh wait

Tarantino

Looks cool.

Patman

Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks star in this "prison break-out" thriller written and directed by Paul Haggis. John (Crowe) and Lara (Banks) are married, with a son. Lara is arrested for the murder of her manager, and John's world is turned upside down. After repeated legal proceedings, John has run out of options to prove Lara's innocence. Desperation sets in for John, and he plans to break Lara out from prison.

The film goes to great pains to show us how the internet is rather helpful in plotting prison break-outs, but does John have the nerve and fortitude to go through with it. The script is peppered with near misses, and plenty of obstacles for John to overcome. Crowe does a good job acting, even without dialogue, his facial expressions tell a lot about what his character is going through and wrestling with, as he goes down a path that has but a slim chance of succeeding.

The direction is competent, nothing groundbreaking, but for its running time, it's actually paced pretty well.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

tylergfoster

Just caught this in the dollar theater. Thought it was pretty intense and gripping throughout, although the third act goes on a little too long. Interested to see the original.

JumpCutz

Hmm. The trailer made this look like a dreadful enterprise. But since droidguy1119 liked it, I'm going to give it a shot.

I'm more curious about the original film though.

sleepyhead55

I've seen the original and it's very good. It's pretty lean too at 96 minutes compared to the remake which is over 2 hours long. Good mix of drama and suspense.

LosingMyMind

There's a scene where Crowe is doing intensive internet research? Paul Haggis based it off of the research he was doing on scientology, before he finally got out.

tylergfoster

The trailers are poor marketing, I think. Like the title of the French original suggests, this is a movie about devotion and perhaps obsession. The ads play it as an action thriller, highlighting the movie's most over-the-top looking shots, but I was more emotionally engaged by the performances, particularly Crowe, who really sells his struggle to get through the day without his wife. I don't think I've liked him in a movie this much since The Insider (but then, I never liked Gladiator all that much, so maybe that's just me).

Finisher

Seriously underrated movie. Can't remember rooting so hard for a character.

Wonder how long until Haggis makes a movie about Scientology.

Tarantino

I thought this movie sucked. I think the ending would have been better by .

Haggis seems to think the audience needs everything spelled out to us.

d2cheer

Same here I thought it was gripping and my heart was actually racing during the last third. Elizabeth Banks almost ruined it though she should never have been cast as the wife.

RichC2

That scene was still hypothetical, it was the detectives thoughts on the situation. Keep on believing what you want hah.

Movie was good until the final 3rd which was a little too over the top. Still enjoyable. I had no problem with Banks.

Dr. DVD

Just finished my Netflix rental. Really want the last two hours of my life back. 96 minutes would have been more than enough if that was what the original was like. This was too bloated. I had no problem with Banks, but she needs to stick with comedy.

In terms of the end:

RichC2

TheMovieman

I would agree if...



Still, I really liked the movie, flaws in logic and all.

Dr. DVD

Yeah, that kind of ruined what could have at least been an interesting twist to the whole situation.

TheMovieman

Dr. DVD

RoyalTea

Giles

there was so much about this movie was that so implausible that I couldn't enjoy it - it felt like it was trying to integrate scenes and tone from 'The Fugitive'. The pacing was also terrible - the first hour was sloooow. Call me dense but I didn't realize that this was a Paul Haggis movie (missed the opening credits), but goddamn, did he not replicate a line from 'Crash' into this movie - "looks like it's going to snow" is "looks like it's going to rain" - my eyes rolled in my head. The whole movie had that whole Denzel Washington movie 'John Q.' vibe where good people think they are improving a situation, ultimately making it worse off.

Why So Blu?

I did not know it was a remake. I love French films, but had never seen the original. I thought Next Three Days was awful, though.

Tarantino

I'd say its not hypothetical at all. Seems quite literal.

But uh..."keep on believing what you want hah."

RichC2

I wish I remembered what my comment was about.

I barely remember this movie or anything that happened in it. I read my comment earlier today and couldn't figure out how it made any sense at all.