The Escapist (2008 film)
Encyclopedia
The Escapist is a 2008 drama thriller starring Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes
, Liam Cunningham, Seu Jorge
, Dominic Cooper
, Steven Mackintosh
, Stephen Farrelly and Damian Lewis
. It is directed and co-written by Rupert Wyatt
, and premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
to considerable acclaim. An Irish-UK Co-Production, the film was produced by Alan Moloney of Parallel Films and Adrian Sturges of Picture Farm.
), Brodie (Liam Cunningham) and Viv Batista (Seu Jorge
). But when Perry's new cellmate James Lacey (Dominic Cooper
) gets noticed by Tony (the brother of the powerful inmate Rizza), things get more complicated and lead to Tony's death. When Perry receives the bad news that his daughter has died his plans change.
The film runs two narratives simultaneously, the preparation of the escape and the escape itself, of Perry and several others.
. A scene near the end is shot in the bascule
chamber beneath Tower Bridge
in London; it is exactly the same location where Wyatt's brother-in-law Boris Starling
set the climax of his 2006 novel Visibility. The Kingsway tramway subway
also features in the film.
's version of "The Partisan
" and British band Coldplay
who wrote an eponymous song for the film which features on the end credits and on their bestselling album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
as a hidden track.
based on 40 reviews. The consensus:
"A tense, smart prison break movie, The Escapist is a sharp debut from director Rupert Wyatt".
Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...
, Liam Cunningham, Seu Jorge
Seu Jorge
Seu Jorge is a Brazilian musician, singer/songwriter and actor. Born Jorge Mário da Silva, he was raised in a favela in the city of Belford Roxo in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro state. He is considered by his fans a renewer of Brazilian pop samba...
, Dominic Cooper
Dominic Cooper
Dominic Edward Cooper is an English actor. He has worked in TV, film, theatre and radio, in productions including Mamma Mia!, The Duchess, The History Boys, and The Devil's Double.- Early life :...
, Steven Mackintosh
Steven Mackintosh
-Personal life:Mackintosh was born in Cambridge, the son of Dorothy and Malcolm Mackintosh. He has a sister, Lynda Ellingham .He is married to the actress Lisa Jacobs and the couple have two children, Martha and Blythe.-Film:...
, Stephen Farrelly and Damian Lewis
Damian Lewis
Lewis was born in St John's Wood, London, the son of Charlotte Mary and J. Watcyn Lewis, a City broker. His paternal grandparents were Welsh. His maternal grandfather was Lord Mayor of London Ian Frank Bowater and his maternal grandmother's ancestors include Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of...
. It is directed and co-written by Rupert Wyatt
Rupert Wyatt
Rupert Wyatt is a British writer and film director. His debut film was The Escapist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008...
, and premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
to considerable acclaim. An Irish-UK Co-Production, the film was produced by Alan Moloney of Parallel Films and Adrian Sturges of Picture Farm.
Plot
Frank Perry (Brian Cox) is a lifer and has long accepted that he will never see the outside again. When Perry receives his first letter in fourteen years that his cherished daughter is a drug addict and near death following an overdose, he starts to think about escaping. He soon puts a plan together with help from Lenny Drake (Joseph FiennesJoseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...
), Brodie (Liam Cunningham) and Viv Batista (Seu Jorge
Seu Jorge
Seu Jorge is a Brazilian musician, singer/songwriter and actor. Born Jorge Mário da Silva, he was raised in a favela in the city of Belford Roxo in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro state. He is considered by his fans a renewer of Brazilian pop samba...
). But when Perry's new cellmate James Lacey (Dominic Cooper
Dominic Cooper
Dominic Edward Cooper is an English actor. He has worked in TV, film, theatre and radio, in productions including Mamma Mia!, The Duchess, The History Boys, and The Devil's Double.- Early life :...
) gets noticed by Tony (the brother of the powerful inmate Rizza), things get more complicated and lead to Tony's death. When Perry receives the bad news that his daughter has died his plans change.
The film runs two narratives simultaneously, the preparation of the escape and the escape itself, of Perry and several others.
Cast and characters
- Brian Cox as Frank Perry. A solid and phlegmatic character, he holds his own, but neither attracts nor creates any trouble. He is a lifer and has long accepted that he will never see the outside again.
- Damian LewisDamian LewisLewis was born in St John's Wood, London, the son of Charlotte Mary and J. Watcyn Lewis, a City broker. His paternal grandparents were Welsh. His maternal grandfather was Lord Mayor of London Ian Frank Bowater and his maternal grandmother's ancestors include Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of...
as Rizza. A ruthless convict who rules over the other inmates. - Joseph FiennesJoseph FiennesJoseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...
as Lenny Drake. A former thief and boxer. - Seu JorgeSeu JorgeSeu Jorge is a Brazilian musician, singer/songwriter and actor. Born Jorge Mário da Silva, he was raised in a favela in the city of Belford Roxo in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro state. He is considered by his fans a renewer of Brazilian pop samba...
as Viv Batista. The prison chemist. - Liam Cunningham as Brodie. Perry's right hand man and closest friend.
- Sheamus as Two Ton. The prison's reigning bare-knuckle boxing champion.
- Dominic CooperDominic CooperDominic Edward Cooper is an English actor. He has worked in TV, film, theatre and radio, in productions including Mamma Mia!, The Duchess, The History Boys, and The Devil's Double.- Early life :...
as Lacey. A newly arrived prisoner and Frank's cellmate. - Steven MackintoshSteven Mackintosh-Personal life:Mackintosh was born in Cambridge, the son of Dorothy and Malcolm Mackintosh. He has a sister, Lynda Ellingham .He is married to the actress Lisa Jacobs and the couple have two children, Martha and Blythe.-Film:...
as Tony. Brother of Rizza, drug addled and the source of much conflict.
Locations
Much of The Escapist was shot in Dublin's Kilmainham GaolKilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison, located in Kilmainham in Dublin, which is now a museum. It has been run since the mid-1980s by the Office of Public Works , an Irish Government agency...
. A scene near the end is shot in the bascule
Bascule
Bascule may refer to:* A Bascule bridge, a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic...
chamber beneath Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...
in London; it is exactly the same location where Wyatt's brother-in-law Boris Starling
Boris Starling
Boris Starling is a British novelist and screenwriter. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a first in History.-Life:Starling is the great-grandson of the English physiologist Ernest Starling...
set the climax of his 2006 novel Visibility. The Kingsway tramway subway
Kingsway tramway subway
The Kingsway Tramway Subway is a cut-and-cover Grade II Listed tunnel in central London, built by the London County Council, the only one of its kind in Britain...
also features in the film.
Music
The film features Leonard CohenLeonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's version of "The Partisan
The Partisan
"The Partisan" is a song about the French Resistance in World War II. The song was written in 1943 in London by Anna Marly and Emmanuel d'Astier de la Vigerie...
" and British band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
who wrote an eponymous song for the film which features on the end credits and on their bestselling album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 11 June 2008 on Parlophone. The album was named after a Spanish phrase that translates in English as "long live life"...
as a hidden track.
Critical reception
The film received a rating of 65% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
based on 40 reviews. The consensus:
"A tense, smart prison break movie, The Escapist is a sharp debut from director Rupert Wyatt".
Wins
- BAFTA ScotlandBAFTA ScotlandBAFTA in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Formed in 1997, the branch holds an annual awards ceremony, the British Academy Scotland Awards , to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Scottish film, television and video games...
Award for Best Film Performance 2008 (Brian Cox) - British Independent Film Awards 2008British Independent Film Awards 2008The 11th British Independent Film Awards, held on 30 November 2008 at the Old Billingsgate Market in London, honoured the best British independent films of 2008.-Best British Independent Film:* Slumdog Millionaire* Hunger* In Bruges...
Best Production Achievement (Adrian Sturges and Alan MoloneyAlan MoloneyAlan Moloney is an Irish film and television producer.In 2006 Moloney worked with Harold Pinter to produce a TV adaptation of the stage play Celebration. In 2007 he produced The Future Is Unwritten, directed by Julien Temple. In the same year he also produced The Escapist which premiered at the...
)
Nominations
- British Independent Film Awards 2008British Independent Film Awards 2008The 11th British Independent Film Awards, held on 30 November 2008 at the Old Billingsgate Market in London, honoured the best British independent films of 2008.-Best British Independent Film:* Slumdog Millionaire* Hunger* In Bruges...
The Doulgas Hicox Award (Best Debut Director) (Rupert WyattRupert WyattRupert Wyatt is a British writer and film director. His debut film was The Escapist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008...
) - Irish Film and Television AwardsIrish Film and Television AwardsThe Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community...
2008 Best Film (Adrian Sturges and Alan MoloneyAlan MoloneyAlan Moloney is an Irish film and television producer.In 2006 Moloney worked with Harold Pinter to produce a TV adaptation of the stage play Celebration. In 2007 he produced The Future Is Unwritten, directed by Julien Temple. In the same year he also produced The Escapist which premiered at the...
) - World Soundtrack Award for Discovery of the YearWorld Soundtrack Award for Discovery of the YearDiscovery of the Year is an award handed out yearly at the World Soundtrack Awards to commemorate an excellent piece of musical work in the field of TV and movie soundtracks that seemed to come out of nowhere, hence the title of the award. It has been handed out since the World Soundtrack Awards'...
2008 (Benjamin Wallfisch) - Evening Standard British Film AwardsEvening Standard British Film AwardsThe Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by the British London area evening newspaper Evening Standard. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony honours films from the previous...
2008 Most Promising Newcomer (Rupert WyattRupert WyattRupert Wyatt is a British writer and film director. His debut film was The Escapist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008...
) - Evening Standard British Film AwardsEvening Standard British Film AwardsThe Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by the British London area evening newspaper Evening Standard. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony honours films from the previous...
2008 Technical Achievement (Joe Walker) - London Critics' Circle Film Awards 2008 Filmmaking Breakthrough (Rupert WyattRupert WyattRupert Wyatt is a British writer and film director. His debut film was The Escapist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008...
)
External links
- Official website
- Photographs of abandoned props from the Escapist in the Kingsway tramway tunnelKingsway tramway subwayThe Kingsway Tramway Subway is a cut-and-cover Grade II Listed tunnel in central London, built by the London County Council, the only one of its kind in Britain...
, 10 October 2009, FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...