There is nothing pretty about prison life in
The
Escapist
> The Escapist
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Cast: Brian Cox, Damian Lewis, Joseph Fiennes, Seu Jorge,
Liam Cunningham, Dominic Cooper, Steven Mackintosh.
Rating: (R16)
3 stars (out of 5)
Review by Mark Orton
From the rapid inter-cutting between a prison break in
progress, and the daily hell of life behind bars, The
Escapist (Rialto) signals its intent to fit up a
relatively predictable story.
Featuring the well-lived in persona of veteran actor Brian
Cox (Frank Perry), The Escapist pulls no punches with
its representation of incarceration.
Perry is in for life, though for what we'll never know.
The crime-and-punishment angle is of less importance to the
main driving factor - the lengths to which the characters
will go to get out.
Once it is established what is at stake, and the various
components of an elaborate escape plan emerge, sit back and
hold on as the drama unfolds.
The tension is gradually cranked up as a cleverly cast band
of miscreants attempts to trick the system.
From the virtually unrecognisable Joseph Fiennes, to Steven
Mackintosh's psychopathic junkie, The Escapist
gradually builds to a daring ending.
Not for all tastes, but if you ever wished that Guy Ritchie
could re-capture his initial potential, The Escapist
is a good fix.
Best thing: The warts-and-all portrayal of HM prison
service.
Worst thing: Watching a digit being forcibly removed.
See it with: Anyone needing a wake-up call about
criminal repercussions.
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