The Escapist

Superb character actor Brian Cox (who, among other things, was the screen's first Hannibal Lecter) grabs center stage here with his riveting performance as convict Frank Perry, a “lifer” who decides to break out of prison to help his estranged daughter kick her drug dependency and enlists a motley crew of fellow inmates whose cross-purposes endanger the plan at every step of the way. Unfortunately, director and co-writer (with Daniel Hardy) Rupert Wyatt clutters a perfectly serviceable plot with a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles—sometimes literally. The Escapist is noisy to the point of cacophony, with an endless jumble of loud, jarring sound effects that are nearly as distracting as the constant flashbacks and flash-forwards (ultimately, there is a method to Wyatt's madness in terms of the relentless time shifting, but it will still strike many viewers as affected). Cox anchors the film with his intense characterization of a savvy, determined convict, and he receives commendable support from Joseph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, and Damian Lewis (all playing fellow cons). Although a more straightforward storytelling approach—with less noise—would have benefited the film enormously, it's still fairly compelling entertainment, and is therefore a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette (14 min.), deleted scenes (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven but often enjoyable flick.] (E. Hulse)