![]() (L-R) Ian Hart as Denis Goldberg, Daniel Radcliffe as Tim Jenkin and Daniel Webber as Stephen Lee in the drama/thriller ESCAPE FROM PRETORIA, a Momentum Pictures release. These conferences drift a little towards the idealistic and away from the hyper-realism that permeates the rest of the movie. This is admirable on one hand, but on the other, it means that the film occasionally does a fair share of telling/not showing regarding their motivation for escape in the first place. When we’re reminded of it through dialogue, the protagonists debate what they’re fighting for and argue over the morality of an escape attempt. The inmates’ perspective is strictly adhered to and the film doesn’t cheat by cutting away, beyond the prison walls. Granted, it’s effective when used, but, like a lot of VO, there’s not much consistency to it and the story would have been better off either without it entirely or with more of it at more consistent intervals, including the ending to match the intro. The film bears few flaws, but among them is the spotty use of voiceover (VO). The pacing is excellent and builds masterfully to every moment of tension. Even when you think there can’t possibly be any more nail-biting scenes left, where the tension cannot be prolonged any further, another twist follows that still manages to work. Those moments happen often they are the foundation and thrust of the film. Moments that shine most effectively are small, crucial beats that play out in real-time or – even better – when they feel agonizingly stretched across full sequences, all in the best possible way. The film opens with a brutal, sweeping punch of archival footage to set the stage and offer swift context, then pivots into a far more intimate tone. Daniel Radcliffe as Tim Jenkin in the drama/thriller ESCAPE FROM PRETORIA, a Momentum Pictures release. Despite the many and vast differences between Escape from Pretoria and The Great Escape(1963), they share something of a similar spirit you will find yourself engrossed in the characters’ plight whether you know the history or not. ![]() Strangely, I was reminded of Lincoln(2012), in that the story here is far more of a specific moment in specific lives, rather than a comprehensive historical examination of South Africa’s apartheid days or the complexity of the politics therein. This is not an expert delve into race relations, nor a daring exposé or keen look into history. Not quite.īased on Tim Jenkin’s book Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Central Prison , the film does follow Jenkin (Daniel Radcliffe) and Stephen Lee (Daniel Webber), two anti-apartheid activists, and their attempt to escape the white-only Pretoria Local Prison in 1979, but the film’s primary interest and focus is the intimate, moment-to-moment suspense, which makes up the bulk of the story with little time to spare for much else. The trailer gave me the impression that the film would be brutal: heavy on physical and psychological torture a deep look into the conditions of the time, regarding apartheid and then a harrowing escape attempt. While I didn’t come to Escape from Pretoria with an especially keen knowledge of the central figures, I did bring with me a hefty amount of apprehension. Though their internal debate is interesting, it’s less exciting than seeing prisoners sneaking around corners, trying to avoid getting caught.Escape from Pretoria (Francis Annan, 2020) 3 out of 4 stars. The rightness of these men’s cause is presented as self-evident. Adams) keeps the action focused on the peculiar mechanics of the escape, rather than on big political speeches. ![]() It helps too that director Francis Annan (who also co-wrote the script with L.H. They were conscientious and compassionate - and in many cases more bookish than brawny. None of the heroes of this story were supermen. ![]() Casting Radcliffe is an inspired choice, and not just because he has a quiet charisma. One of the escapees, Tim Jenkin, told his story in the 1987 book “Escape From Pretoria,” now a taut mid-budget thriller starring Daniel Radcliffe. In 1979, three anti-apartheid activists escaped from a South African jail, executing a complicated and daring plan that involved multiple makeshift wooden “keys” and the cooperation of their fellow prisoners - some of whom worried that a dramatic jailbreak would hurt their cause. ![]()
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