After working with Brian Cox on Get the Picture, Rupert Wyatt decided to write a film to break Cox out of his supporting role rut. You’ll be glad he did. The Escapist, Wyatt and co-writer Daniel Hardy’s jailbreak movie starring Cox, is one of the most visually dynamic masterpieces in the genre.
Cox plays Frank Perry, who appears to be the stereotypical little old man for about 3 seconds, until you notice his tan jumpsuit. A criminal serving a life sentence, Perry has not received a single letter from his family since he was locked up 14 years ago, despite his constant attempts to contact his wife. Until now. Perry’s wife sends him a letter, informing him that his daughter has become a junkie and has had several brushes with death.
Determined to see his daughter before anything else happens to her, Perry gathers some of his prison buddies to help him escape. Lenny Drake (Joseph Fiennes) is the go-to thief with a penchant for lock picking. Brodie (Liam Cunningham) used to work in the sewers and can find the way to safety. Batista (Seu Jorge) helps them out of a tough spot when another inmate catches onto the plan. And Lacey, Perry’s new roommate played by Dominic Cooper, gets a free pass. The motley crew makes their way into the sewer system, but they must decide how far they are willing to go and what it is exactly that makes them free men.
Watching this movie, it’s easy to see how Cox left such a huge impression upon Wyatt. His acting ability is phenomenal. The Escapist relies more on visual effects than dialogue to tell this story, and it would be easy for the actors to use this as an excuse to slack off. But Cox’s heart wrenching silent scene in which his wife visits him for the first time is authentic and touching. I’ll admit, I may have shed a tear or two. Or maybe a lot. The supporting cast did an exceptional job as well, especially during Cooper’s attempts to get away from Tony, a creeper set on making Lacey his bitch. It’s hard to believe that many of these scenes were shot in only one or two takes, as the cast only filmed for 25 days.
Not only is the casting stellar, but they had a lot of great material to work with. The writing manages to be witty at the right times without detracting from the heart pounding anxiety of the escape. The creative ways the prisoners communicated about their plan so they didn’t get noticed, such as by using a dominoes game to map out the sewer system, is entertaining and has a fresh feel to it. The movie interweaves fast paced scenes of the getaway attempt and slower sections while the men are still in the prison, finalizing their plot, achieving the perfect balance. I love the storyline as well. So many prison films have contrived plotlines that annoy the hell out of me, but Perry’s reasoning behind the escape is compelling and creates sympathy for all the characters in on the scheme.
The Escapist is the ultimate redemption story. It’s an instant classic and a reminder that even in the end, a single unselfish act can make a whole life worthwhile.
DVD Bonus Features
The disc includes the original trailer and a few deleted scenes that are rather funny. Also, if you can stand the really shaky motion of the camera at the beginning of the making of featurette without throwing up, it’s definitely worth checking out. Not only do most of the cast members weigh in on their favorite prison films, the featurette also offers insight into the inspiration for the story, the difficult filming conditions and expounds on themes throughout the movie.
"The Escapist" is on sale January 26, 2010 and is rated NR. Crime, Drama, Thriller. Directed by Rupert Wyatt. Written by Daniel Hardy, Rupert Wyatt. Starring Brian Cox, Dominic Cooper, Joseph Fiennes, Damian Lewis.
