Review by Joseph Anthony
Enjoying the film NO ESCAPE depends on what you go to the movies for. The beauty of film is that each one offers a unique experience for each audience member. Like any form of art, it speaks to you or it doesn’t. NO ESCAPE is a unique experience, it just depends if it’s the one you want to have.
Enjoying the film NO ESCAPE depends on what you go to the movies for. The beauty of film is that each one offers a unique experience for each audience member. Like any form of art, it speaks to you or it doesn’t. NO ESCAPE is a unique experience, it just depends if it’s the one you want to have.
When the film opens, we are in the midst of a coup in an
unnamed Southeastern Asian country (we know we’re near Vietnam, so it’s
probable we’re in either Laos or Cambodia). A rebel group
has risen up and removed the government in power. As the coup unfolds, a family
of four from Austin, Texas is mid-flight, permanently relocating to our country
in turmoil.
Our patriarch is Jack Dwyer, played by Owen Wilson, who is
bringing along his reluctant wife Annie, played by Lake Bell (WET HOT AMERICAN
SUMMER: FIRST DAY OF SUMMER, IN A WORLD…), and his two young daughters. Jack is
relocating due to work. He works for a clean water organization that is taking
over the water facilities in this particular country. Jack and Annie’s marriage
seems to have taken a hit due to the relocation.
On the flight, the Dwyer family meets an Australian tourist
named Hammond (Pierce Brosnan). Hammond is rough around the edges, but his offbeat and dry wit make him a blast to watch. He’s also hugely useful because he
is a frequent visitor to the country and can show the Dwyer family around.
As Hammond and the Dwyer family get settled in their host
country, things turn sour in a hurry. Jack’s stroll to pick up a newspaper puts
him in the middle of a violent riot in the streets. We quickly learn that part
of the coup is due to the new water company’s presence in the country. Anti-Western
sentiment is clear as the rebels go after anyone who appears to be of American
or European origin. In what becomes a warlike environment, Jack and Annie do
everything in their power to protect their daughters. The rebels are massacring
buildings full of people, and the audience is spared nothing when it comes to watching
the violence unfold.
Brosnan gives an energetic performance that is ultimately under utilized and played for pragmatic purposes only. All of the performances are worthy of praise. Owen Wilson and Lake Bell, both veterans of comedy, give grounded and realistic performances, a strength of the film.
The movie tries to work in the geopolitical subplot of
Western companies taking advantage of small third world nations who simply
cannot afford to pay the debt they owe first world countries. As a consequence,
the first world countries can pretty much do as they please in these areas. A
reality in some areas of the world, but the movie treats this plot with such
afterthought, that it is barely visible as a moral compass for us to hold onto.
NO ESCAPE has more in common with TAKEN, a film about a man who is trying to
take care of his family, than a true geopolitical thriller such as SYRIANA.
What’s worse is the movie seems to make the point clear that
these first world businesses should be ashamed of how they take advantage of
poor nations while at the same time making those rebels fighting back against
it as despicable as possible. So who do we root for in NO ESCAPE? Jack Dwyer, the
company man (unaware of the reality of the situation), or the
rebels who feel abused, but slaughter everyone in sight? Writer and director
John Erick Dowdle (QUARANTINE, AS ABOVE, SO BELOW) leaves us no choice but to
cheer for our American family. They’re innocent and have two little girls who
don’t deserve to witness mass murder. Plus, the Asian rebels, while politically
inspired, come across as mindless henchmen killing everything in sight. Like
the country in which the film takes place, the rebels are faceless and
nameless.
To its credit, NO ESCAPE offers legitimate moments of
intensity. Its rooftop scene, easily the most memorable of the film, qualifies
as high-octane action. However, NO ESCAPE eventually loses its energy and feels
more like an act of endurance to sit through. It’s a shame that too often I
found myself holding onto my seat because a child might be shot at or blown up.
Intense, yes, but is that entertainment? Maybe. It depends what you go to the
movies for. 1.5 out of 4 stars
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