| The Escapist | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Directed by | Rupert Wyatt |
| Written by | Rupert Wyatt Daniel Hardy |
| Produced by | Adrian Sturges Alan Moloney |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Philipp Blaubach |
| Edited by | Joe Walker |
| Music by | Benjamin Wallfisch |
| Distributed by | Vertigo Films IFC Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $388,174[1] |
The Escapist is a 2008drama thriller film starringBrian Cox,Joseph Fiennes,Liam Cunningham,Seu Jorge,Dominic Cooper,Steven Mackintosh,Stephen Farrelly andDamian Lewis. It was directed and co-written byRupert Wyatt and premiered at the 2008Sundance Film Festival to considerable acclaim. An Irish-UK co-production, the film was produced by Alan Moloney of Parallel Films andAdrian Sturges of Picture Farm.
The film runs two narratives simultaneously, preparation for the escape and the escape itself.
Frank Perry (Brian Cox) is alifer 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 plans an escape with help from Lenny Drake (Joseph Fiennes), 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.
Perry nears freedom, as he climbs towards aLondon Underground exit. The story snaps back to the prison where Perry is offering himself to be killed by Rizza for failing to bring Lacey to him for punishment. The escape scenes were Perry's hallucinations as he was dying, and he sacrificed himself to cause distraction, allowing the other prisoners to escape.
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The role of Frank Perry was written specifically for Brian Cox.[2]
In an interview with Trevor Groth, Wyatt said "The structure of the film's plot was inspired by a well-known short story written in the 19th century byAmbrose Bierce calledAn Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."
Much ofThe Escapist was shot in Dublin'sKilmainham Gaol. A scene near the end is shot in thebascule chamber beneathTower Bridge in London; it is exactly the same location where Wyatt's brother-in-lawBoris Starling set the climax of his 2006 novelVisibility. TheKingsway tramway subway also features in the film.
The film is noted for featuring not only IrishWWE wrestler Sheamus (billed under his real name, Stephen Farrelly) in a main role but also futureUFC starConor McGregor as an extra playing a prisoner.[3]
The film featuresLeonard Cohen's version of "The Partisan" and British bandColdplay who wrote an eponymous song for the film which features on the end credits and on their bestselling albumViva la Vida or Death and All His Friends as a hidden track.[4]
The film received a rating of 67% onRotten Tomatoes based on 45 reviews. The site's consensus: "A tense, smart prison break movie,The Escapist is a sharp debut from director Rupert Wyatt".[5]
The North American box office total for the film was $13,439 with an additional $374,735 internationally for a worldwide total of $388,174.[1]
In 2015, it was announced thatLiam Neeson will star in a remake with Wyatt as a producer.[6]
