When waterworks engineer Jack Dwyer is given a chance to move to Southeast Asia to head a new waterworks power plant for the company he works for, he takes it eagerly, bringing his wife and two daughters. As they settle into their new home, they notice that barely anything electronic works and that the streets are…too quiet. Minor problems for the night. Except it gets worse in the morning, as Jack finds himself caught in the middle of a street fight between riot police and armed rebels. Eventually he discovers that a military coup is taking place, and that the rebels are specifically targeting foreigners. Aided by a mysteriously capable British tourist, the only way for Jack and his family to survive is to escape…from a country they have only been in for a day….which is full of a lot of people that want them dead. Not the best odds now, are they?
And that is ALL you need t know about the story because there isn’t anything else that the film will tell you. The Dwyer family is stuck in a coup, they need to escape, it’s honestly that simple. Hell, we don’t even know what country we are actually in, only that it borders Vietnam, so it can either be Cambodia or Laos. Then again, specifically referring to one country or another would step on one too many toes so I suppose it was the safest bet.
Also despite my tone, I’m not bitter at all. You have to remember that the whole film is being playing out in the perspective of the Dwyer family, who have only been in the country for a day. They probably know little to nothing about the language, the political situation, who the president is or even what the rebels are fighting for. All they would know is that the rebels are killing foreigners in particular, which puts them in the most danger.
The claustrophobic, vulnerable atmosphere is created to near perfection in this film, both by the fact that you and the characters know next to nothing about what going on around you except the obvious; barely any music playing in the background, and the small amounts of it are low, rumbling and ominous; and also the incredibly close, shaky camerawork which implies the fear and overall sense of being dangerously alone.
There are few criticisms that I can really think of, one being the very beginning of the film, in the presidential palace. I think it would have been better if that scene wasn’t there, so that we would be completely unprepared for the chaos that comes afterwards. The scene felt a little pointless to me, especially since nothing concrete in that scene has any effect on the overall film.
But now for the elephant in the room: Owen Wilson as the lead in what can be quite a serious film. We all thought that despite the cool premise it would be doomed from the start. But I think that Wilson held his own, giving a decent performance as someone stressed, angry and scared but knows he has people to protect. Pierce Brosnan I’m a little mixed about. His character was an eccentric, even a little loco British tourist, who did supply some laughs for the film (Yes, there are parts of the film that were funny: Emotionally conflicted, but there you are), but I felt that his twist, although it makes sense in the situation doesn’t really add anything. As for the family, I do like how the wife, played by Lake Bell is understanding of the situation, and tries her best to be supportive and helpful and they don’t waste time by going through unnecessary family drama. And the children are fine as well; they act how exactly a normal child would in a dangerous and hectic situation like theirs.
Overall, I give No Escape 7 out of 10. A very simplistic but decent film, which has few ambitions but accomplishes them with ease: A good idea bulging with potential, tension running throughout the entire length of the film. There are some uncomfortable and funny moments that threaten to break the tone, but a good piece of cinema, with high replay value.
Words Create Worlds 