NO ESCAPE
US, 2015, 103 minutes, Colour.
Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Sterling Jeruns, Clare Geare, Sahajak Boonthanakit.
Directed by John Erik Dowdle.
This is a very gruelling film to watch, and its plot and treatment are quite gruelling, not a film for an easy night out.
It is set in something of a fictional South East Asian country, audiences particularly focusing on Thailand, where it was filmed, and the recent uprisings, clashes in the cities, changes of government, military command. The geography of the film is not accurate, a city on the river with a large American Embassy is only a few minutes away down the river to the border with Vietnam.
This is one of those stories for American audiences focusing on an American family in an alien situation, continually under threat, showing a skill for survival when most of the locals are threatening, violent. It could have been set in Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia…
The Dwyer family have had some difficulties in finances and the father, Jack (Owen Wilson surprisingly convincing in a non-comedy role as something of an action hero) has accepted an engineering job in the Asian country, working on its national water system. Towards the end of the film, audiences will realise that this is a message film about American corporations, their role in Asian countries, building up systems, banks organising loans which are difficult to repay and the corporations taking possession – with anti-American sentiment in the country.
While everything seems nice and sunny in the morning after their arrival, Jack wanders down the street to buy a newspaper only to be caught in the middle of a rioting mob and helmeted truncheon-holding military marching to confront them. He has to use his wits, and some local help, to escape back to the hotel, only to find the mobs rampaging already, killing the guests in their rooms. While he manages to get to his wife and children, he has to go downstairs to the pool where one of his little girls has gone swimming. From then on for the next hour or more the film shows the ordeal of the family and the struggles, ingenuity and luck for them to survive.
They do encounter a friendly scruffy-looking man on the plane, played by Pierce Brosnan. He helps at the airport to get a lift with his associate, a local whose nickname is Kenny Rogers – which is also the name of his van which is plastered inside with photos of the singer.
The steps of the survival are going to the roof, enduring a helicopter attack, killing many people on the roof, the adults leaping from building to building and Jack throwing his daughters across to his wife, climbing down a building, finding office workers trying to save documents only to be bombed by a tank, the continued search by masked rebels, going down to basements, disguising themselves as locals and riding a motorcycle, even through an advancing group in the night, trying to reach the embassy… Luck does intervene when Pierce Brosnan and Kenny Rogers turn up again, enabling them to get some refuge before the final, perilous attempt to get to the river and the Vietnam border.
Lake Bell is strong as the mother, supporting her husband, continually trying to keep the daughters safe and quiet – but the film does raise the issue of the defence of family and the exercise of violence, even to killing someone who is a threat.
The story may seem remote to many Americans for whom Asia is a long way away – but for audiences who live in the region and are aware of uprisings, the story may seem only too real. And, at the end the family claim to be refugees as they arrive in Vietnam by boat.
1. The title, expectations, story of survival?
2. The Thai settings, the city, hotel, the streets, the demonstrations, the police, rioters and killings, bashings?
3. The credibility of the plot, American issues in Asia, corporations, building, loans and repayment, inability, American takeovers? The role of the American government? CIA and other international agencies?
4. The situation, the President, the discussions with Cardiff about the water system, the strict security, testing the drinks, reaching the agreement? The guard escorting the visitor to the car? The shooting, the presence of the rebels, the security man slitting his throat?
5. 17 hours earlier, the flight, Jack and Annie, Lucy and Bees, the discussions, the long trip, the toy, Hammond and his being pleasant, the arrival, the crowds, the offer of the lift? Kenny Rogers, his name, genial, the van, the posters, singing? The hotel, settling in? The light not working, the phones and television not working? Jack in the bar, Hammond and Kenny Rogers and the karaoke?
6. Jack, his company, failing, needing the new job, his skill as an engineer, the banner in the foyer and the welcome? Expectations? The rebel later holding the banner and pointing to Jack’s picture?
7. Going to get the paper, three days old, the lack of language? The sunny morning? Suddenly the crowds, the cause, the masks, the weapons? The police, helmets, shields? The violent clash? Jack using his wits, finding the building, entering the hotel, the intruders killing and bashing? In the rooms? His finding the family, having to go down to the pool, to rescue Lucy? Meeting Hammond, advice to go to the roof? The people on the roof, bewilderment? The helicopter, not friendly, the massacre, its crash? The tank firing into the office?
8. The atmosphere of siege? Jack and his search for Lucy, Annie holding the fort, barricading the room? On the roof, the decision to leap from one building to the other, Annie’s attempt, failing? Her being urged, Jack throwing the girls, Lucy and her fear, almost falling? Hiding, climbing down, the office, the bomb, the deaths, down to the basement, surviving? The importance of Jack’s defence, killing the intruder, his conscience and repercussions?
9. The effect on each of the members of the family, the girls and their fear? Not understanding? Needing to go to the embassy, the map, Lucy pointing out the embassy? The key, finding the bike, disguise and masks, riding through the crowd? The embassy, the destruction, over the fence, the man hiding him, the personnel dead? Hammond, his being caught, pleading, shooting his captors?
10. Hurrying the family to the building, refuge for the girls, cleaning up, on the roof, the chicken – and seeing the roast dog? The gun tower and the shooting, Hammond being wounded? Through the door, into the street, Hammond on the street, urging them on, the oncoming truck, he shooting then being hit?
11. Going to the river, hiding, Jack and the deal with the boat, his watch and the shoes? The rebels, putting the gun in Lucy’s hand, wounding Jack, wanting her to kill, Annie hitting him on the head? Hurrying into the boat, rowing?
12. The border, the Vietnamese warning, the rebels pursuing, continuing, going through the barrier, appealing as refugees?
13. The happy ending?
14. The message of the story about American interventions? Personal aspects of defending families? And refugees by boat?
