THE ESCAPIST
UK, 2002, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jonny Lee Miller, Gary Lewis, Andy Serkis, Johdi May.
Directed by Gilles Mackinnon.
The Escapist is a psychological action thriller. It is also a revenge action thriller - a cut above the average insofar as it actually voices arguments against the violence of revenge: an eye for an eye means that both people are blind.
The film focuses on a young affluent pilot, his pregnant wife and their being attacked in their home by a berserk criminal. He kills the wife and lets the pilot live. The pilot is consumed with revenge, gets himself into jail, continually escapes and offends so that he will go to the maximum security prison, an island in the North Sea, where he will confront the criminal and get his revenge. Gilles Mackinnon is a strong director whose films include A Simple Twist of Fate, Regeneration, Hideous Kinky, Small Voices. He is served by a strong cast with Jonny Lee Miller as the young pilot, Gary Lewis as the prisoner who helps him, a truly berserk Andy Serkis as the criminal.
1. An action thriller? Revenge thriller? The quality of performances, plot, characters, issues?
2. The mansion on the coast, the aerial scenes? The various prisons, the final prison on the North Sea island? Location photography, atmosphere? Special effects and flying? The musical score?
3. The title and its reference to Denis? The reason for his becoming an escapist?
4. The plausibility of the plot: Denis and Valerie, the attack by Ricky Barnes and his henchmen, the violence? Denis pretending that he had died, opting out, assumed name, the prison activity, the final confrontation, especially in the plane with Ricky Barnes?
5. Denis's character: the initial flying, turning the engine off and going into the sea and then coming out, saying that it was not dangerous? His relationship with Valerie, the baby? Friendship with Christine and Michael? The confrontation with Ricky Barnes, his sense of desperation, feeling he should have done something more, the killing of Valerie, Ricky Barnes saying he would let him live? The birth of the baby, the decision about Valerie? His not wanting to touch the baby, giving it to Christine to look after?
6. His faking his death? Living anonymously, standing on the police car and the damage, going into court, his lawyer, insulting the judge, finding out from criminals the circuit for the prisons? His continued activity, arrests, insults? His going into the prison, sharing the cell with Ron? Friendship? Seeing one of the henchmen, attempting to strangle him? Ron and his hold over the guard, arranging the escape, the money? The escape itself? Hiding out with Ron's friend? Going to visit Christine, her reaction? His decision to go back to jail, giving himself up? Going to the island, the attitude of the guards and giving him messages from Ricky Barnes? His work, eyeing off Barnes? The arrangements for the confrontation? His being bettered? The explosion, the confusion, the air ambulance, Ricky taking Denis to the plane? Their flight together, Barnes's escape? Denis and his shrewdness, turning off the engine, getting the parachute, letting Ricky Barnes die? The threat to Christine and the baby? Their escape, the possibility of joining them and starting a new life? Twice dead?
7. Ricky Barnes, his reputation, his son, the accomplice? Barging into the house, the brutality and the anger, the shootings? In prison, the confrontation with Denis, his son giving the information about Christine and her visit to the prison, taking Christine and the baby as hostage? Barnes and the escape, the flight, his death? The glimpse of his son? His accomplice?
8. Ron, quietly in prison, friendship with Denis, advising him? Life in the prison, seeing his violence? Arranging the escape with the guard? The escape itself, his friends? Going to visit Christine? Denis leaving him? Ron's return, seeing the hostage situation, coming in, wounding the son, his being killed?
9. Christine, Michael, her friendship with Denis, her disbelief when he came back, her love for the baby - all that she had left? The hostage situation, her escape?
10. Popular ingredients for a popular kind of action entertainment? The revenge theme - and Ron and others talking about the issues and effect of revenge?
