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Here in the UK, a British prison movie called The Escapist was released this week. I saw it on Friday, and wrote this review for a website. Needless to say, I highly recommend this film to you all, for whenever it is released in America:
THE ESCAPIST
One of the best experiences a film fan can have is going into a movie with zero expectations, not really knowing what to expect, and being blown away by what you say. Sadly, in todays Internet age, this seems to be an increasingly rare pleasure. But it is one I enjoyed when I saw The Escapist. Opening on what appears to be a limited run of screenings here in the UK last week, with marketing for the film seemingly non-existent, The Escapist does indeed seem to have slipped under the radar. Going into the cinema, all I knew about what I was about to see was that it was a British prison movie, starring Brian Cox, and that it had already received some positive early reviews. But going out, I was left with the impression that this is a film that deserves to be seen by a whole lot of people as, with the right amount of exposure, The Escapist is a film with all the tools to, in time, become recognised as a classic of the genre.
In continuing this review, I certainly do not want to give away too much of the plot, as a big part of the thrill is watching how it all comes together. But I do feel that it is safe to mention that the film features a prison break. This is no spoiler, as said prison break gets underway in the films opening minutes. In the scuttlebutt on the likes of Youtube and IMDb, many comparisons have been made between The Escapist and US TV show Prison Break. An unfair comparison, not only because Prison Break was hardly the first drama to revolve around a prison escape, but as this opening scene demonstrates, and as becomes increasingly clear as the film progresses the execution is radically different. While much of the fun of the first (and to a lesser degree, the third) season of Prison Break lies in watching the meticulous escape plan slowly come together, in The Escapist, the audience is thrown into the deep-end with the escape already in progress, with the preparations and motives behind the escape woven into the story via flashback scenes. This is just one of several ways in which The Escapist treads the familiar territory of many prison movies which have preceded it, but does so in a way that makes it feel totally fresh and compelling.
Simply put, The Escapist is a machine of a movie, with dialogue, characterisation and plotting stripped down to a tough, hardened core, and pacing that is truly relentless. While many movies that play with multiple narrative strands fall in that one story ends up being more interesting than the other, here both past and present are equally gripping. The prison break itself is something to behold, even to those well-versed in the genre. Backed by an adrenaline-pumping techno theme reminiscent of John Carpenters compositions, the convicts breathless retreat - from one hell deeper and deeper into another - takes us through a series of stunning visuals that make it near-impossible to believe that this is director Rupert Wyatts first full-length feature.
But while this escape is the beating heart of The Escapist, and is certainly thrilling to watch, the flashbacks do more than enough to hold our attention, serving as a masterclass in slow-boil tension and building dread. It is in these scenes that the escapees are fleshed out into believable characters. Chief among them is hardened lifer Frank Perry, played by the formidable Brian Cox. As a Scotsman myself, I have to say: forget Connery, Brian Cox is our true national treasure. He doesnt get nearly enough leading roles, but he certainly makes the most of this one. Even with minimal dialogue, and little in the way of immediately-discernable sympathetic qualities, Cox fills Perry with a power and a presence that reels you in, and ensures he quietly dominates every frame he appears in. It is, of course, the kind of excellent performance that never gets award recognition. But Frank Perry could very well be the most haunting, memorable protagonist seen since Daniel Day-Lewis drank our milkshakes in There Will Be Blood.
Not that this is a one-man show, far from it. Too often in prison movies, the cast fall into a set of stereotyped stock-characters. The wise, respected long-term prisoner. The drug-dealing entrepreneur. The silent, brooding tough guy. The wide-eyed new fish primed for anal rape in the showers. The psychotic ruler of the prison-yard roost. And, to a degree, all these stock characters are present and correct here. But at the same time, theyre all given a twist, taken in directions you wouldnt expect. All become multi-layered, utterly believable characters. Joseph Fiennes plays strongly against type as Lenny Drake, hard-bitten brawler with a hair-trigger temper, helping in the escape plan not for freedom or to save a loved one, but for the entirely selfish motive of revenge. Another thing which the film gets points for: not attempting to pidgeon-hole the diverse group of prisoners planning the escape into bonding, or becoming friends. Most of these people dont like each other, they certainly dont trust each other. Theirs is a relationship of necessity, and nothing more.
Then again, they are also united by mutual enemies within the prison, represented by a pair of magnetic performances. Rizza, the aforementioned psychotic ruler of the prison-yard roost is - in fact not all that psychotic. Instead, we are presented with someone who is soft-spoken, even diplomatic, but who nevertheless exudes a subtle air of constant menace, thanks to an entirely convincing, absorbing performance by the underrated Damien Lewis. Though Rizza is not actually on-screen very much, with much of his power acknowledged through how others talk of him in his absence, he is granted an ever-present proxy in the shape of his detestable junkie brother, Tony. Much credit goes to Steven Mackintosh for crafting a character so horrible, and so frightening, that you forget he is an actor playing a role. Tony is filled with such twitchy, skin-crawling energy that his every appearance brings with it a tangible sense of nausea and discomfort. A truly vile piece of human filth.
But perhaps the films greatest villain is the prison itself. With its twisting stairways, claustrophobic corridors and the constant, ominous sounds of doors clanging and groaning, the structure almost feels like a living thing. Of course, weve seen plenty of miserable prisons depicted over cinemas history, but with the sense of constant danger and fear that seem to be dripping from the walls of this hellhole, there are few (if any) that Id want to be locked up in less than this one. The oppressive atmosphere is heightened by a washed-out colour scheme that invokes a sense of 1970s cinema. Indeed, The Escapist as a whole has a strong 1970s vibe, not just in the visuals, but in the associations with grim narratives and quality storytelling that the decade often raises.
2007 was packed full of excellent movies, many of which did not hit our shores until 2008 No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood and Gone, Baby, Gone come to mind and so it is with a degree of pride that I report that the best film of the year so far is homegrown. The Escapist is a dazzling reminder that some of the worlds best films are still being made right here in the UK, and that at its best, British cinema can be more than a match for Hollywood.
VERDICT:
A stunning debut feature from Rupert Wyatt. Boasting a quality ensemble cast led by Brian Cox on world-beating form and a tightly-structured, deceptively clever story, The Escapist is destined to be one of 2008s hidden treasures. Do yourself a big favour, and seek it out.
9/10
THE ESCAPIST
One of the best experiences a film fan can have is going into a movie with zero expectations, not really knowing what to expect, and being blown away by what you say. Sadly, in todays Internet age, this seems to be an increasingly rare pleasure. But it is one I enjoyed when I saw The Escapist. Opening on what appears to be a limited run of screenings here in the UK last week, with marketing for the film seemingly non-existent, The Escapist does indeed seem to have slipped under the radar. Going into the cinema, all I knew about what I was about to see was that it was a British prison movie, starring Brian Cox, and that it had already received some positive early reviews. But going out, I was left with the impression that this is a film that deserves to be seen by a whole lot of people as, with the right amount of exposure, The Escapist is a film with all the tools to, in time, become recognised as a classic of the genre.
In continuing this review, I certainly do not want to give away too much of the plot, as a big part of the thrill is watching how it all comes together. But I do feel that it is safe to mention that the film features a prison break. This is no spoiler, as said prison break gets underway in the films opening minutes. In the scuttlebutt on the likes of Youtube and IMDb, many comparisons have been made between The Escapist and US TV show Prison Break. An unfair comparison, not only because Prison Break was hardly the first drama to revolve around a prison escape, but as this opening scene demonstrates, and as becomes increasingly clear as the film progresses the execution is radically different. While much of the fun of the first (and to a lesser degree, the third) season of Prison Break lies in watching the meticulous escape plan slowly come together, in The Escapist, the audience is thrown into the deep-end with the escape already in progress, with the preparations and motives behind the escape woven into the story via flashback scenes. This is just one of several ways in which The Escapist treads the familiar territory of many prison movies which have preceded it, but does so in a way that makes it feel totally fresh and compelling.
Simply put, The Escapist is a machine of a movie, with dialogue, characterisation and plotting stripped down to a tough, hardened core, and pacing that is truly relentless. While many movies that play with multiple narrative strands fall in that one story ends up being more interesting than the other, here both past and present are equally gripping. The prison break itself is something to behold, even to those well-versed in the genre. Backed by an adrenaline-pumping techno theme reminiscent of John Carpenters compositions, the convicts breathless retreat - from one hell deeper and deeper into another - takes us through a series of stunning visuals that make it near-impossible to believe that this is director Rupert Wyatts first full-length feature.
But while this escape is the beating heart of The Escapist, and is certainly thrilling to watch, the flashbacks do more than enough to hold our attention, serving as a masterclass in slow-boil tension and building dread. It is in these scenes that the escapees are fleshed out into believable characters. Chief among them is hardened lifer Frank Perry, played by the formidable Brian Cox. As a Scotsman myself, I have to say: forget Connery, Brian Cox is our true national treasure. He doesnt get nearly enough leading roles, but he certainly makes the most of this one. Even with minimal dialogue, and little in the way of immediately-discernable sympathetic qualities, Cox fills Perry with a power and a presence that reels you in, and ensures he quietly dominates every frame he appears in. It is, of course, the kind of excellent performance that never gets award recognition. But Frank Perry could very well be the most haunting, memorable protagonist seen since Daniel Day-Lewis drank our milkshakes in There Will Be Blood.
Not that this is a one-man show, far from it. Too often in prison movies, the cast fall into a set of stereotyped stock-characters. The wise, respected long-term prisoner. The drug-dealing entrepreneur. The silent, brooding tough guy. The wide-eyed new fish primed for anal rape in the showers. The psychotic ruler of the prison-yard roost. And, to a degree, all these stock characters are present and correct here. But at the same time, theyre all given a twist, taken in directions you wouldnt expect. All become multi-layered, utterly believable characters. Joseph Fiennes plays strongly against type as Lenny Drake, hard-bitten brawler with a hair-trigger temper, helping in the escape plan not for freedom or to save a loved one, but for the entirely selfish motive of revenge. Another thing which the film gets points for: not attempting to pidgeon-hole the diverse group of prisoners planning the escape into bonding, or becoming friends. Most of these people dont like each other, they certainly dont trust each other. Theirs is a relationship of necessity, and nothing more.
Then again, they are also united by mutual enemies within the prison, represented by a pair of magnetic performances. Rizza, the aforementioned psychotic ruler of the prison-yard roost is - in fact not all that psychotic. Instead, we are presented with someone who is soft-spoken, even diplomatic, but who nevertheless exudes a subtle air of constant menace, thanks to an entirely convincing, absorbing performance by the underrated Damien Lewis. Though Rizza is not actually on-screen very much, with much of his power acknowledged through how others talk of him in his absence, he is granted an ever-present proxy in the shape of his detestable junkie brother, Tony. Much credit goes to Steven Mackintosh for crafting a character so horrible, and so frightening, that you forget he is an actor playing a role. Tony is filled with such twitchy, skin-crawling energy that his every appearance brings with it a tangible sense of nausea and discomfort. A truly vile piece of human filth.
But perhaps the films greatest villain is the prison itself. With its twisting stairways, claustrophobic corridors and the constant, ominous sounds of doors clanging and groaning, the structure almost feels like a living thing. Of course, weve seen plenty of miserable prisons depicted over cinemas history, but with the sense of constant danger and fear that seem to be dripping from the walls of this hellhole, there are few (if any) that Id want to be locked up in less than this one. The oppressive atmosphere is heightened by a washed-out colour scheme that invokes a sense of 1970s cinema. Indeed, The Escapist as a whole has a strong 1970s vibe, not just in the visuals, but in the associations with grim narratives and quality storytelling that the decade often raises.
2007 was packed full of excellent movies, many of which did not hit our shores until 2008 No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood and Gone, Baby, Gone come to mind and so it is with a degree of pride that I report that the best film of the year so far is homegrown. The Escapist is a dazzling reminder that some of the worlds best films are still being made right here in the UK, and that at its best, British cinema can be more than a match for Hollywood.
VERDICT:
A stunning debut feature from Rupert Wyatt. Boasting a quality ensemble cast led by Brian Cox on world-beating form and a tightly-structured, deceptively clever story, The Escapist is destined to be one of 2008s hidden treasures. Do yourself a big favour, and seek it out.
9/10
I haven't read your entire review though. And I glimpsed some bits of the trailer. Because as you said, 
