"The Escapist" is a twisty thriller which focuses on one man's struggle to break free of his own personal hell!
The story of an aged con breaking out of prison to see his ill daughter one last time: A premise that sounds hackneyed and predictable, yet a product which is compelling and brutally convincing.
Inside a stark London prison devoid of historical context we meet Frank Perry (Brian Cox), a grizzled lifer well into his stretch. His acceptance of the unspoken rules and inevitability of his future is thrown out the window when he discovers his estranged daughter is critically ill. A motley crew of cons is assembled and an audacious escape plan hatched, all under the nose of Rizza, the head con - a chillingly softly-spoken Damien Lewis (a benevolent sort of guy who will let you choose which finger you want cut off). Problems arise when Rizza's 'untouchable' and psychotic brother Tony learns of the plans.
From the opening the narrative is intercut with claustrophobic footage of the escape which runs parallel to the preparation. This sidesteps conventional thriller structure and, as the plot twists onwards, allows us to contemplate more outcomes than just escape or capture. As the film progresses you realise that the title refers to more than just escaping from prison. The subterranean tunnels which they run through, foul and majestic, take on a symbolic quality of the journey of a mind through its murky past or conscience willing itself on to redemption.
Brian Cox, one of Britain's finest but overlooked actors is superb as the stoic but broken Perry. His relationship with his co-conspirators consists of a kind of tough compassion and even reluctant fatherhood towards his untarnished cellmate whom he feels he must save.
Despite its familiar plot and nods to prison movies like Shawshank and Papillon, 'The Escapist' is not like many you've seen. Its bloody authenticity and reflective intelligence will put to rest any doubts you might have had about the British film industry's ability to approach such a well-worn genre with total originality.
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Gritty action escape thriller following a rag-tag group of cons' attempt to break out. Frank Perry (Brian Cox) is serving a life sentence without parole when he hatches a plot to escape from prison in order to reconcile his relationship with his daughter who is in a critical condition after a drugs overdose. Gathering an unlikely group of fellow convicts around him, including the prison's drug dealer Viv (Seu Jorge) and silent muscle Lenny (Joseph Fiennes), Frank, realising he's still short on bodies, is soon forced to take along a number of the less stable elements of the prison population, with all the risks that they bring.
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