A review of the new film “The Escape”
How many women are unfulfilled by marriage and motherhood and wish to escape? Many more than we would dare to imagine, I suspect. This British film – actually written and directed by a man (Dominic Savage) – tells the story of one such tormented soul who is such a supporting character to her husband and children that we do not even learn her name until half way through the narrative.
Tara is played by Gemma Arterton who, wearing no makeup, gives the performance of her career to date in a gut-wrenching portrayal of a woman lost. This really is her movie: she is rarely off the screen and has an executive producer role.
This is not a film that will appeal to those who only enjoy blockbusters because it is a remarkably minimalist work: very few characters, not much storyline, and sparse (often improvished) dialogue. The power and the pain comes from the acting, principally from wonderful Arterton but also from Dominic Cooper who is her husband Mark: a decent enough man who loves his wife but who simply cannot understand who she is and what she needs.
So, does Tara escape? Certainly for a time in a less compelling second segment in Paris, but the ending is left ambigous.