ThiefHott Too much of everything

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Ashkan Azizi The movie contains two story lines, we see the planning to escape, the preparation on one line, at a same time we are shown the process of escape. While we accompany the lead role, Brian Cox, to a subway station and to his daughter as a successful escape, he gets killed back in prison. this is the place that the title of the movie, The Escapist, helps us understand what is happening. we are escaping with a man who is an escapist, a man who is long gone and no longer belongs in prison, he's back home and saves his daughter, the thing that is left in prison is nothing but a corpse who is drenched in reading a book over and over. The very last dialogues of the movie between the warden and him demand dire attention, to him the Warden does not exist beyond the walls of the prison while he is there, at least his mind is there. He is just a dreamer, long asleep in prison, long living with his family!

billcr12 Frank Perry is a prisoner with a life sentence who receives a letter from his daughter, who has not heard from for fourteen years. She is a drug addict who has overdosed and is near death. First the good; the soundtrack is by Coldplay, and its' darkness matches the overall mood of the film. And now the bad; the non linear style which goes back and forth between the planning, and the actual escape. The underlying drama of the junkie daughter just didn't work for me and it doesn't ever reach the excitement level of The Rock, with Sean Connery, or Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood. Brian Cox is adequate in the lead role, but lacks the star power of Connery or Eastwood. The Escapist is much more low key then the two aforementioned movies. Watch them or, of course, Shawshank Redemption, if you are looking for a prison drama.

Film Watchin Fool Watch this if... a very good and suspenseful prison break film is your thing. Not action packed by any means, but provides plenty of suspense and is a solid film.Acting/Casting: 8* - Great casting from top to bottom in this one. Cox and company play their roles well and the acting is above average. In particular, Cox gives arguably his best performance to date.Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 7* - Well directed and I must say the final product is quite impressive. The film takes place predominately in prison and you can almost feel the despair with the dull and dark lighting throughout the film. The cinematography and other aspects of the movie are on par. Although nothing new, I am a big fan of the past/present flipping that takes place throughout the movie.Plot/Characters: 7* - This is a well thought out and constructed prison break film. Although Cox plays a criminal, it has you rooting for him to get out to aid and resolve issues with his daughter. The characters are a bit stereotypical and this prison is far from running a tight ship, but it is still entertaining.Entertainment Value: 7* - A solid film that offers suspense and is well worth a watch. If you are in the mood for a good prison break film that keeps you guessing, then this is right up your alley. I will likely watch again at some point in the future.My Score: 8+7+7+7 = 29/4 = 7.25Email your thoughts to filmwatchinfool@gmail.com

Cheese Hoven This film has a lot of things going for it: a good cast, especially Brian Cox, a striking visual sense and some well written dialogue. However, it is let down by a number of arbitrary and confusing elements which do not gel to make a satisfying whole.One gets the impression of the British prison system is entirely run by the inmates with the indifferent warders looking on. Sadly this may be a fairly accurate portrayal of a modern British prison (although the living conditions are far more comfy than depicted here thanks to 'human rights'). But the impression is that certain scenes have been created just because they look good rather than because they serve any dramatic function. There's a strange and unexplained initiation ceremony for scantily clad newcomers; the now obligatory prison rape; and the lengthy intercut (apparent) escape scenes add to the confusion, even though they are highly atmospheric.The black drug baron is particularly ludicrous. He has an assortment of potions to hand which would make Harry Potter jealous. He's able to concoct a poisonous 'cat' substitute somewhere in the prison (not sure where, I didn't think that laboratories were standard requirements yet) over night.The 'surprise' ending merely added more questions rather than explaining anything. The comparison made to the Dallas shower scene made elsewhere is very apt.