ESCAPE CLAUSE

US, 1996, 103 minutes, Colour.
Andrew Mc Carthy, Paul Sorvino, Kate Mc Neil, Kenneth Welsh, Connie Britten.
Directed by Brian Trenchard- Smith.

Escape Clause is a complicated murder mystery. The title refers to insurance and Andrew Mc Carthy plays an insurance whiz who has his own theory about the Ramsay Curve, a device for insurance companies to blame the victims rather than the perpetrators or the insurance companies.

Himself having had a nervous breakdown and sometimes suffering from paranoid delusions, Mc Carthy finds it all comes back to him when he receives an anonymous phone call to say that his wife has hired someone to kill him. He gives this information to the police, especially Detective Farrant (Paul Sorvino).

After a series of dangers, he finds his wife murdered. His in-laws, the father had been head of the CIA, take his child and want custody. Mc Carthy goes berserk, enlists the aid of a friend of his wife, suddenly makes connections - and the detective is revealed as the murderer, a victim of insurance and the Ramsay Cueve with the paralysis of his stepson and the death of his wife. The detective then kidnaps Mc Carthy's son and there is a final confrontation.

The film was directed by Australian Brian Trenchard- Smith (The Man from Hong Kong, Frog Dreaming, BMX Bandits).

1. Entertaining murder mystery and thriller? The credibility of the plot, characters?

2. The city settings, the countryside, wealthy homes? New York City? The musical score?

3. The title, its reference to insurance policies? The themes of insurance companies, the Ramsay Curve, payments and non-payments and the relevance to the plot?

4. The opening with Richard explaining to the executives his theories? The acclaim, magazine covers? His relationship with Sarah, her tensions? His relationship with his son? The in-laws?

5. Richard at work, his going to socials, his being feted? The phone call from the ex-policeman about his wife hiring him? His phoning his wife, growing suspicions, the sequences at home, questions, her bewilderment? His confronting the ex-policeman? His being killed?

6. His going to the detectives, their listening to his story, the further investigations, Farrant's sympathy? His finding his wife dead?

7. The confrontation with the hitman, his being shot? Farrant doing the investigation? The reaction of the in-laws, taking the boy, trying to get custody of him? The friendship of Lesley and her seeing through the in-laws, trying to help Richard?

8. His growing desperation, his erratic behaviour? On the boat, going to confront his in-laws? His being barred by the lawyer? His growing suspicions?

9. The realisation of the truth, the information about Farrant? Seeing his stepson paralysed, hearing the explanation? Confronting Farrant, the truth?

10. Farrant taking his son, parking the car on the railway lines in a repetition of the previous accident? Richard hurrying, pushing the car off the line, rescuing his son? The confrontation with Farrant and his death?

11. Character study, people under pressure, insurance companies and their policies, emotional consequences, revenge themes?