The way in which the movie is shot is obviously done in order to maximize suspense, and for the most part, it works. On a technical level, Annan’s filmmaking is completely competent, but there is nothing particularly spectacular about it.
In the past, Radcliffe has shown that he is able to bring a lot to bizarre roles, but this more by-the-book character doesn’t utilize his talents properly. But in this time, it’s clear that this is stuff that has already been seen.ĭaniel Radcliffe plays the lead of the movie, and while he does a good enough job in his role, he doesn’t get the chance to show much emotional range or depth in the film. Had this film come out twenty or even ten years ago, it would have been the type of star-driven crowd-pleaser that would likely have been a hit.
That isn’t to say that the characters aren’t compelling - they are - but why does this movie seem to almost entirely ignore the element of racism that defined the conflict at its heart? At a few points in the film, it seems like there may be a subplot that will go into the more socially important aspects of the story, only for this to get abandoned.Īnnan does a very good job of making the movie compelling and thrilling, but he often resorts to some of the more conventional tricks of the genre. With so many stories from black African activists existing during the Apartheid era, why was one of two white men chosen as the one that deserved the screen treatment? The same message that this film contains could have been communicated just as if not more effectively with the story of a black subject. That said, the fundamental flaw with this movie is that it is a story that simply didn’t need to be told. For the most part, the film follows the pre-established beats of the genre, and although the story is predictable given the fact that it is based on a true story, it is told in a gripping and cinematic way. The movie tells the story of the real-life prison break of two political prisoners in Apartheid-era South Africa as they try to escape the infamous Pretoria prison. Telling a story that didn’t really need to be heard, this is admittedly an entertaining film, but its existence is entirely unnecessary.
Especially the very close up takes of "Tim" masterly tells the story of the Terror he's hiding within See this movie!! The cinematography alone is worth it!! And the story is cleverly adapted by Francis Annan from Tim Jenkin's book It's readily available on various streaming services, as most Cinemas are currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.Co-written and directed by Francis Annan, Escape from Pretoria is a new prison break thriller owing a lot structurally to the classics of the genre, though it is still problematic in its approach. As talking is prohibited at night, the dialogue is sparse, but this is soon forgotten as Visual long pans, close-ups and points of view cleverly replaces the would be dialogue. And his clear satisfaction in cutting short the 30 minutes visit of Leonard's son, is a key point in storyline. But the truly great performance is by Nathan Page who is Mongo the personification of the archetype sadistic and racist prison guard that visually enjoys the violence and degradation of especially black or coloured inmates. Mark Leonard Winter is especially noteworthy in his role as the French prisoner Leonard, who only get to see his son for 30 minutes a year.(we'll get back to that) Ian Hart (Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone) is the wise elder political prisoner, who has the system well and truly pegged for what it is. Daniel Radcliffe plays the political activist Tim Jenkin, and Daniel Webber (The Dirt) plays his mate Stephen Lee. The story of Tim Jenkin's daring Escape from a 12 year sentence for spreading anti-apartheid propaganda sheds a light on the on the racist atrocities of the government in general and of the prison systems in particular. This based on a true story thriller had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire movie. This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
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