This is a movie that was suggested to me and I'm so happy that they did. I saw a ad for this movie a few times on instagram which was very interesting. When this movie was suggested to me, I looked up the trailer and was willing to give this movie a shot. This is based on a true story about two people who get arrested in South Africa. It is during a time of political unrest and they make a statement by using explosives to blow sheets of political propaganda to the public. From there the movie moves to a very quick court process that puts both of them in a prison in Pretoria. That's when they come up with the plan to escape that prison. For me this movie is so far my favorite of 2020 and for a lot of reasons. The reason why this movie is so good is because it gives a great sense of tension, has great acting, cinematography is breathtaking, editing is clean, and the use of lighting is amazing. This movie stars Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter and is directed by Francis Annan! This team did a great job in this incredible movie. I'm very surprised on the mixed reviews it has been getting. The bright side is that its not to bad on rotten tomatoes. Let me share my opinion on this movie real quick though!
The use of tension in this movie is some of the best things about it. There are countless scenes where the characters could have easily gotten caught trying to escape. I won't give away the ending of course if they do or do not get caught. Well if you know the real story, I guess you already know how it ends. Daniel Radcliffe's character Tim has a great scene with a broom stick, a piece of gum, and a key part. I'm not gonna say anything more than that. That scene though was on of the most stressful scenes I have ever witnessed in a movie. Like it was done super well and edited excellently. There are many time clutching moments throughout this movie. There were so many times while watching this movie that I was on the edge of my seat. Director Francis showed off in these scenes I think. He probably was like "check this out". Then presented a scene that had you stressed out and become worried about the main characters.
Now let's talk about the acting in this movie. I believe that Daniel Radcliffe will soon get nominated for an Oscar! There is not enough in this movie to probably get him nominated but it showcased what he got. This is probably the best performance I've seen him in. I cannot wait to see what other projects he picks up next. He seems to do really well in these smaller indie movies. The inner monologues were so on point as well. He carried this movie from beginning to end. His partners in crime also did a great job in this movie. His main accomplice Stephen played by Daniel Webber did a great job! He was able to show a lot of emotion throughout the movie and was a good counter part to Daniel's character. Mark Leonard Winter's character also had some great scenes. Especially when things had to do with his son in the movie. You can just feel the raw emotion in his acting in this movie. Overall the entire cast absolutely brought their "A" game in this movie. There were no weak characters and they all had a good amount of character development.
Visually stunning in many different ways, this movie flowed really good. I'm surprised how amazing the camera work and cinematography were. The camera moved with the actions of the characters and it looked so good. An example is this one scene where he is turning the key and it's a POV shot of the key hole and turns while the key turns. This was such a small and clever way to do the shot. I feel like a lot of thought went into each and every shot in this movie. You can tell that the director loves what he does and has a craft for these type of scenes. There is also a great scene where they are hiding in a supply closet and they use a great job with lightening. The editing is so very good as well. It helps create the tension in the movie by giving a sense of distance between a guard and them doing something they shouldn't. It is very quick cuts without the movie seem very jarring or overdone. This is perfectly partnered up with an incredible score. The musical score was made by David Hirschfelder and it is absolutely amazing. Literally even the sound mixing is amazing.
Overall this movie is my favorite of this year. From beginning to end, it was a very enjoyable movie to watch. There were so many good elements that made this movie fun. The film work was very well done and the actors did a great job. This would be a great movie to watch if you are an inspiring filmmaker. During these times where we have to stay indoors, this might be a great pick to watch. The nice thing about this movie is that its a already available on demand. Have you seen it, or if you will, let me know what you all think. As always, Stay Safe and Stay Healthy!
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