Jenkin hatches a plan to whittle wooden facsimiles of the keys to every door separating them from the outside world - an almost naively simple scheme that necessitates a complex network of hiding places and bluffs, as vindictive guards begin to suspect something is afoot. Banished to the vast prison complex of Pretoria, the country’s administrative capital, Jenkin and Lee are protectively counseled by veteran liberal political prisoner Denis Goldberg (British veteran Ian Hart, giving the character a geezer-y air), who advises them to keep their heads down and to serve their time with dignity as “prisoners of conscience.” The youngsters, countering that they are instead prisoners of war, immediately set about an escape plan regardless. Adams’ workaday screenplay, the actor’s signature anxious-earnest mien is leaned on a lot here, as is his overly explanatory voiceover, which provides a broad primer on apartheid for any uninformed viewers, along with a reminder that “freedom and equality should be fought for at all costs.”įor Jenkin, that cost is a 12-year prison sentence, handed down after he and his best friend Stephen Lee (Daniel Webber, tersely charismatic in a thin part) were caught planting a leaflet bomb to distribute ANC protest flyers in central Cape Town. Given the limited backstory filled in by Annan and L.H. Sporting a squirrelly shag wig and a valiantly attempted but wayward Cape Town accent, Radcliffe plays Jenkin, a middle-class sociology student turned underground activist for the African National Congress, with his own brand of puppyish but righteous commitment. Meanwhile, it may struggle to find much of a fanbase in its own country of setting, where audiences might reasonably wonder why at least one South African actor couldn’t have been cast in a principal role. The casting of Daniel Radcliffe as Jenkin lends it some marquee appeal, but this still feels like efficient VOD fodder, sure to age as memorably as “Stander,” that other blandly internationalized biographical romp pulled from the same passage of South African history. The last 30-odd years have seen such a wealth of diverse, resonant personal histories emerge from the ashes of apartheid - not least that of the actual, not-white Mandela - that “Escape from Pretoria” could well have missed its moment entirely.Īs it is, it’s been done cheaply and (sort of) cheerfully as an Australian production by British writer-director Francis Annan, focusing heavily on suspense mechanics as if to modestly understate its factual heft. It’s surprising that it’s taken this long to reach the screen, given how sveltely his gripping story fits into a genre-film uniform. 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.Jenkin’s book of the same title was published in 1987, when he was still living as a fugitive from nominal justice in London. 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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