Frank Perry (Cox, in a role written specifically for him) is a lifer and has long accepted that hell never see the outside again. A solid and phlegmatic character, he holds his own but neither attracts nor creates any trouble. Grief is far more likely to be started by the psychotic and drug-addled Tony (Macintosh), brother to the ruthless head con Rizza (Lewis, who reportedly based his character’s mannerisms on a mixture of Tony Blair and Chris Eubank). However, when Frank receives a rare letter telling him that his cherished daughter is near death following an overdose, he starts to think about escaping, and fast. Hes got a plan and he needs help. Soon a mismatched crew of all the talents comes together, with Lenny Drake (Fiennes), Brodie (Cunningham), Viv Batista (Jorge) and Cox’s new cellmate James Lacey (Cooper) each pitching in.

As is customary in the prison break genre, much attention is paid both to the themes of incarceration, freedom and the four Rs – redemption, release, regret and responsibility. Where The Escapist differs from other prison break movies is in its structure. Wyatt splices the preparations with the escape itself, cutting back and forth between the two (often with visually effective jump cuts).

This gives way for a final twist which is inspired by Ambrose Bierce’s story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.

Much of The Escapist was shot in Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol, where the open terraces and communal staircases give the feeling of a ghoulish horseshoe-shaped cathedral overpopulated by human animals. A scene near the end is shot in the bascule chamber beneath Tower Bridge in London; coincidentally, exactly the same location where Wyatt’s brother-in-law Boris Starling set the climax of his 2006 novel Visibility.

Instant classic or genre retread? That’s the debate being waged (albeit quietly) by reviewers who first caught Rupert Wyatt’s feature debut at Sundance in 2008. IFC Films has been sheepish with their release, opting for a NYC-only opening this weekend, but we could be reading about the film’s box-office heist come Monday, April 6th.

Director: Rupert Wyatt
Stars: Brian Cox, Damian Lewis, Joseph Fiennes
Studio: IFC Films
Genre: Thriller

“Gomorra” is a contemporary Neapolitan mob drama that exposes Italy’s criminal underbelly by telling five stories of individuals who think they can make their own compact with Camorra, the area’s Mafia. A drama of five interconnected stories, each of them illustrating the levels of organized crime in modern-day Naples.

Matteo Garrone’s adaptation of Roberto Saviano’s sensation-causing book burst onto the international scene by winning the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes back in May. En route to its U.S. release, it earned 5 European Film Awards, became Italy’s Foreign-Language Oscar pick (eclipsing Il Divo in both instances), found an American sponsor in Martin Scorsese, and — oh yeah — three of the film’s actors have been connected to actual-real mob activities. Other fun facts about this should’ve-been-Oscar contender: Author Saviano, who had a hand in the screenplay, has been living under 24-hour protection since the release of his book; however, to strengthen the film’s anti-hero sentiment, Saviano is not a character in the narrative.

Director: Matteo Garrone
Stars: Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Abruzzese, Toni Servillo
Studio: IFC Films