list.co.uk/fi lm Reviews | FILM
DRAMA THE ESCAPE (TBC) 105min ●●●●● CRIME DRAMA YARDIE (TBC) 101min ●●●●●
ROMANTIC FANTASY SICILIAN GHOST STORY (TBC) 122min ●●●●●
The more Gemma Arterton eschews the blockbusters of her early career, the more she i nds roles that bring out the depth and range of her talent. The Escape is a solemn, largely improvised drama from writer-director Dominic Savage in which Arterton captures the anguish of a woman desperate to escape her daily life. Tara (Arterton) is so busy caring for others that she is slowly dying inside. Her days are i lled with being a wife (to Dominic Cooper’s Mark), a mother and maintaining a beautiful home. The notion that she might i nd time to take an art appreciation class is akin to suggesting she is planning a trip to the moon. As Tara grows more withdrawn and depressed, it is blindingly obvious that something has to change. One of the strengths of the i lm is that it never
compromises its intentions. Nobody is either entirely hero or villain, instead they are two mismatched people who want very different lives, with cinematographer Laurie Rose underlining the claustrophobia of their physical surroundings. The Escape is intelligent and thoughtful, and relays raw pain in these scenes from a marriage. The wan, sad- eyed Arterton breaks your heart as a woman seeking the courage to be true to herself. (Allan Hunter) ■ Selected release from Fri 3 Aug.
Idris Elba makes his directorial debut with an engaging gangland tale adapted from author Victor Headley's debut novel. It begins in 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, when ten-year-old Dennis Campbell witnesses the death of his older brother Jerry. Rather than turn away from violence, young D, as he is known, vows revenge. As he grows up, D (Aml Ameen) works for local crime lord, King Fox (Sheldon Shepherd) who sends him to London on a mission to transport a kilo of cocaine to his British contact, Rico (Stephen Graham), a crazed white Jamaican with a taste for the powder. While it’s a pity Elba didn’t cast himself in a role – his presence alone would be a priceless commodity – he directs with assurance; the scenes set in gloomy 1980s London have a juicy authority. However, it doesn’t entirely work. Elba tries to find some emotional grist but Yardie never rises beyond its pulpy material. Still, Ameen is excellent, while Graham is off-the-chain as Rico, frequently slipping into Jamaican patois. It throbs with some thumping tracks and boasts an impressive score from Tindersticks’ Dickon Hinchliffe. While it doesn’t usurp 1972’s Jamaican gangster classic The Harder They Come, this still reverberates with anger and energy. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 24 Aug.
The reality of Mai a retribution melds with gothic- l avoured romantic fantasy in this ambitious second feature from Salvo directors Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza. Based on true events, the i lm unfolds in 1993, as teenager Giuseppe Di Matteo (Gaetano Fernandez) is kidnapped in an attempt to convince his father not to testify against the Mai a. A wary public grows indifferent to his fate as his classmate Luna (Julia Jedlikowska) becomes increasingly determined to discover what has happened to him. The fervour of her commitment manifests itself in an almost supernatural connection with the captive boy. A letter from Luna is his one solace after weeks of being held in chains.
Together, the couple are depicted as a latter- day Romeo and Juliet and fairytale references are threaded throughout. The cinematography and sound design combine to create a heightened sense of the sinister; it is nothing if not atmospheric and immersive. Both newcomers are impressive, lending conviction to the central relationship and making us care about the characters. The i lm is overlong and challenging in its fusion of styles, but it remains a touching testimony to the power of love in a climate of cruelty. (Allan Hunter) ■ Selected release from Fri 3 Aug.
DRAMA THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST (15) 91min ●●●●●
It may be set in 1993 but this adaptation of Emily M Danforth’s novel The Miseducation of Cameron Post has a devastating modern resonance. An understated yet powerful portrait of identity, sexuality and acceptance set against an immovable religious backdrop, it’s a sobering reminder of the systemic prejudice that accompanies those who identify as ‘other’. Chloë Grace Moretz is outstanding as the titular teen, who is shipped off to an isolated Christian camp after she is discovered being intimate with another girl. For Cameron and her fellow ‘disciples’, who include the wonderfully named Jane Fonda (Sasha Lane), so follows weeks of conversion therapy intended to cure them of their same-sex attraction. Director Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behaviour) resists any polemical exploration of the issues. Instead, she focuses on the small, everyday details: one of Cameron’s classmates has his long hair shaved off by stern leader Dr Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle); another reads a letter from his father expressing disgust at his feminine ways. These terrible acts chip away at these impressionable youngsters, eroding their coni dence, happiness and sense of self. The strength of the i lm comes largely from Akhavan and fellow writer Cecilia Frugiuele’s reserved screenplay, which treats all the characters with empathy and avoids melodrama and cliché. The performances, too, are excellent across the board, with Moretz’s subtle courage and Lane’s resigned sarcasm helping balance the darker themes of the narrative.
Still, there’s no denying the i lm’s impact, and its lasting message. While Cameron and Jane are strong and tenacious enough to survive such an experience, so many others quite simply are not. (Nikki Baughan) ■ General release from Fri 31 Aug.
1 Jun-31 Aug 2018 THE LIST 85