The Escapist (2008 film)

Last updated

The Escapist
The Escapist 2008.jpg
Official poster
Directed by Rupert Wyatt
Written byRupert Wyatt
Daniel Hardy
Produced by Adrian Sturges
Alan Moloney
Starring
CinematographyPhilipp Blaubach
Edited by Joe Walker
Music by Benjamin Wallfisch
Distributed by Vertigo Films
IFC Films
Release date
  • 20 June 2008 (2008-06-20)(United Kingdom)
Running time
102 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
Ireland
LanguageEnglish
Box office$388,174 [1]

The Escapist is a 2008 drama thriller film starring Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Liam Cunningham, Seu Jorge, Dominic Cooper, Steven Mackintosh, Stephen Farrelly and Damian Lewis. It is directed and co-written by Rupert Wyatt, and premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival to considerable acclaim. An Irish-UK co-production, the film was produced by Alan Moloney of Parallel Films and Adrian Sturges of Picture Farm.

Contents

Plot

The film runs two narratives simultaneously, preparation of the escape and the escape itself.

Frank Perry (Brian Cox) is a lifer 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 a London Underground exit. The story snaps back to within 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.

Cast and characters

Production

Writing

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 by Ambrose Bierce called An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge ."

Locations

Much of The Escapist was shot in Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol. A scene near the end is shot in the bascule chamber beneath Tower Bridge in London; it is exactly the same location where Wyatt's brother-in-law Boris Starling set the climax of his 2006 novel Visibility. The Kingsway tramway subway also features in the film.

Extras

The film is noted for featuring not only Irish WWE wrestler Sheamus (billed under his real name, Stephen Farrelly) in a main role but also future UFC star Conor McGregor as an extra playing a prisoner. [3]

Music

The film features Leonard Cohen's version of "The Partisan" and British band Coldplay who wrote an eponymous song for the film which features on the end credits and on their bestselling album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends as a hidden track. [4]

Reception

Critical reception

The film received a rating of 64% on Rotten 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]

Box office

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]

Awards

Wins

Nominations

Remake

In 2015, it was announced that Liam Neeson will star in a remake with Wyatt as a producer. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Neeson</span> Actor from Northern Ireland (born 1952)

William John Neeson is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed seventh on The Irish Times list of Ireland's 50 Greatest Film Actors. Neeson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natasha Richardson</span> English actress (1963–2009)

Natasha Jane Richardson was an English actress. A member of the Redgrave family, Richardson was the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director/producer Tony Richardson and the granddaughter of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Cox (actor)</span> Scottish actor (born 1946)

Brian Denis Cox is a Scottish actor. A classically trained Shakespearean actor, he is known for leading performances on stage and television, as well as supporting roles in film. His numerous accolades include two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award as well as a nomination for a British Academy Television Award. In 2003, he was appointed to the Order of the British Empire at the rank of Commander. Empire magazine awarded him the Empire Icon Award in 2006, and the UK Film Council named him one of the top 10 powerful British film stars in Hollywood in 2007.

<i>Rob Roy</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Michael Caton-Jones

Rob Roy is a 1995 historical biographical drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones. It stars Liam Neeson as Rob Roy MacGregor, an 18th-century Scottish clan chief becomes engaged in a dispute with a reprobate nobleman in the Scottish Highlands, played by John Hurt. Tim Roth won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Archibald Cunningham, one of Rob Roy's chief antagonists. Jessica Lange portrays Roy's wife, and Eric Stoltz, Brian Cox, and Jason Flemyng play supporting parts.

<i>Gunfight at the O.K. Corral</i> (film) 1957 film by John Sturges

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a 1957 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday, and loosely based on the actual event in 1881. The film was directed by John Sturges from a screenplay written by novelist Leon Uris. It was a remake of the 1939 film Frontier Marshall starring Randolph Scott, which was until 1957 the definitive film of the gunfight story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheamus</span> Irish professional wrestler and actor

Stephen Farrelly is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sheamus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaume Collet-Serra</span> Spanish-American film director and producer

Jaume Collet-Serra is a Spanish-American film director and producer. He directed the horror films House of Wax (2005), Orphan (2009), and The Shallows (2016), as well as the Liam Neeson-led thriller films Unknown (2011), Non-Stop (2014), Run All Night (2015), and The Commuter (2018). Collet-Serra also directed the Dwayne Johnson-led films, Jungle Cruise (2021), based on the eponymous theme park attraction from Disney, and Black Adam (2022), based on the comic book character of the same name from DC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Gordon</span> Fictional character from Coronation Street

Tony Gordon is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actor Gray O'Brien. The character first appeared on-screen on 16 September 2007. He appeared as a regular character for two years before departing on 11 December 2009 after being imprisoned for the murder of Liam Connor. He returned on 28 May 2010 after managing to break out of prison with the help of his cellmate Robbie Sloan, whom Tony later betrayed by shooting him dead. The character departed once again on 9 June 2010 after being killed off at the conclusion of his storyline. He was a local businessman, disliked by many of Weatherfield's residents for his ruthlessness. His storylines revolved around his business deals, his relationships with Carla Connor and Maria Connor, and the murder of Liam Connor. Tony was named "Bad Boy" of 2009 at the All About Soap Bubble awards, and "Villain of the Year" at The British Soap Awards 2009.

<i>The A-Team</i> (film) 2010 American action thriller film by Joe Carnahan

The A-Team is a 2010 American action comedy film based on the 1980s television series of the same name created by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell. Directed by Joe Carnahan and written by Carnahan, Brian Bloom, and Skip Woods, the film stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley, and Patrick Wilson. The film tells the story of a Special Forces team who, imprisoned for a crime they did not commit, escapes and sets out to clear their names. The film was produced by Cannell, Tony Scott, and his brother Ridley Scott.

<i>Hunger</i> (2008 film) 2008 Irish film

Hunger is a 2008 historical drama film about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. It was directed by Steve McQueen and starred Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, and Liam McMahon.

Jason Keller is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has also been credited under the anagram pen name of Arnell Jesko. Keller is a New Harmony Writing Fellowship recipient, a two time Bronx New Voices nominee, a Satellite Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay, an Oglethorpe Award nominee and the recipient of an IFJA Hoosier Award.

The 11th British Independent Film Awards, held on 30 November 2008 at the Old Billingsgate Market in London, honoured the best British independent films of 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eriq Ebouaney</span> French actor (born 1967)

Eriq Ebouaney is a French actor. He is best known for his portrayal as the Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in the 2000 film Lumumba, as "Blacktie" in Brian De Palma's Femme Fatale and as "Ice" in the 2008 action film Transporter 3 in which he starred opposite Jason Statham.

The 6th Irish Film & Television Awards took place on 14 February 2009 at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin, and was hosted by Ryan Tubridy. It honoured Irish film and television released in 2008.

<i>Clash of the Titans</i> (2010 film) Film directed by Louis Leterrier

Clash of the Titans is a 2010 action fantasy film and remake of the 1981 film of the same name produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. An Australian-American production directed by Louis Leterrier from a screenplay by Travis Beacham, Phil Hay, and Matt Manfredi, starring Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelsen, Alexa Davalos, Ralph Fiennes, and Liam Neeson, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010. However, it was later announced that the film would be converted to 3D and was released on April 2, 2010.

Rupert Wyatt is an English filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the 2008 film The Escapist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His second film was the 2011 blockbuster Rise of the Planet of the Apes. His third film was the 2019 sci-fi film Captive State. He also directed the first two episodes of the television adaptation of The Mosquito Coast in 2021, as well as serving as an executive producer on the series.

The 29th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 2008, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on 4 February 2009.

<i>Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter</i> 2012 film by Timur Bekmambetov

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a 2012 American action horror film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and based on the novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith, depicting a fictionalized history of the American Civil War with the eponymous 16th president of the United States reimagined as having a secret identity as a lifelong vampire hunter fighting against a caste of vampiric slave owners. Benjamin Walker stars as Abraham Lincoln with supporting roles by Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, and Marton Csokas.

<i>Taken 3</i> 2014 action film by Olivier Megaton

Taken 3 is a 2014 English-language French action-thriller film directed by Olivier Megaton and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It is the third and final installment in the Taken trilogy. A co-production between France, Spain and the United States, the film stars Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen.

Signature Entertainment is a British film distribution and film production company founded in 2011 in the UK.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Escapist". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  2. "The Escapist - Brian Cox interview". 18 June 2008.
  3. "The 'Not-so Notorious' Conor McGregor".
  4. Viva la vida
  5. "The Escapist Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes . IGN Entertainment . Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  6. Goldberg, Matt (6 January 2015). "Liam Neeson to Star in Remake of Rupert Wyatt's THE ESCAPIST; Sean O'Keefe to Write the Script". Collider . Retrieved 19 May 2016.