The Escapist (2008)

Released June 18, 2009

The characters in The Escapist are damaged goods; being in prison does that to you. Brian Cox plays Frank, a man in resigned acceptance of his crime after having served a dozen years of a life sentence. He silently observes the internal workings of the prison that revolves around its head-honcho, Rizza (Damian Lewis), who speaks in hushed Irish tones, and his psychopathic brother, Tony (Steven Mackintosh), who speaks gibberish and wields sharp objects. When a new cellmate arrives, Lacey (Dominic Cooper), who reminds Frank of his younger self, and with the news of his estranged daughter falling ill, he plans an escape with a group of sympathetic inmates, including a scruffy Joseph Fiennes as Lenny.

Well shot and well acted, the film tries hard to be distinctive through a non-linear narrative and sparse dialogue. The latter is supposed to make it arty and sophisticated, when really it just makes it pretentious and overdone. There’s a strong feeling of physical and emotional claustrophobia but, despite Brian Cox's commanding presence, we are not engaged with the characters. We're left to observe the details of the escape which, aside from a clever but improbable exploitation of the strength of diamonds, are unremarkable and consist mostly of running through endless tunnels and sewers.

The Escapist’s claim for originality comes in the final act, with a revelation that almost convinces us that the prior coldness was justified. It’s an intriguing idea that finally brings some feeling to the otherwise subdued narrative.

3/5