![]() Given the limited backstory filled in by Annan and L.H. Sporting a squirrelly shag wig and a valiantly attempted but wayward Cape Town accent, Radcliffe plays Jenkin, a middle-class sociology student turned underground activist for the African National Congress, with his own brand of puppyish but righteous commitment. Meanwhile, it may struggle to find much of a fanbase in its own country of setting, where audiences might reasonably wonder why at least one South African actor couldn’t have been cast in a principal role. The casting of Daniel Radcliffe as Jenkin lends it some marquee appeal, but this still feels like efficient VOD fodder, sure to age as memorably as “Stander,” that other blandly internationalized biographical romp pulled from the same passage of South African history. The last 30-odd years have seen such a wealth of diverse, resonant personal histories emerge from the ashes of apartheid - not least that of the actual, not-white Mandela - that “Escape from Pretoria” could well have missed its moment entirely.Īs it is, it’s been done cheaply and (sort of) cheerfully as an Australian production by British writer-director Francis Annan, focusing heavily on suspense mechanics as if to modestly understate its factual heft. It’s surprising that it’s taken this long to reach the screen, given how sveltely his gripping story fits into a genre-film uniform. The stellar cinematography and how the film connected with me, as a viewer kept me content and yearning for more.Jenkin’s book of the same title was published in 1987, when he was still living as a fugitive from nominal justice in London. As for Webber, this is the first film I have seen with him in it, but the Australian actor gave me a great first impression.įrom start to finish, Escape from Pretoria did not have a dull moment. Since his Harry Potter days have ended, Radcliffe has moved on and now pursues roles that are more mature and sophisticated Escape from Pretoria is no different. Radcliffe is very well-known for his lead role as Harry Potter in the Harry Potter films. My heart has never dropped the way it did after watching that scene. The guard walked past the gate the two attempted to open and noticed the sweat on the floor. Jenkin and Fontaine ran and hid inside a film equipment closet all there was to hold was the head of a bolt. During the test, one of the guards off in the distance was walking back to their office which startled the two prisoners. While at one of the doors, the camera focused on Fontaine’s forehead as a bead of sweat rolled off and onto the concrete floor. In the film, it showed Jenkin and Fontaine testing their keys on different gates. This, to me as a viewer, was crucial to keeping me engaged. I felt myself stepping into their shoes more than once throughout the film. The director, Francis Annan, emphasized certain parts to give it that thrill that people expect from an action film. ![]() With my tendency of getting bored during films, I thought, “Why would this film be any different?” Yet the actors executed their character roles beautifully and made the film feel like a thriller. ![]() This movie was released on Friday, March 6, 2020, with a rating of PG-13 in the thriller/mystery film category. This stunt led to their arrest and they were later branded “terrorists.” When the bombs went off, leaflets with anti-racism messages filled the streets. In both real life and the film, the two placed bags with bombs inside on the streets of South Africa. Jenkin and Lee were trained in various tactics by the ANC such as how to spread propaganda and communication. ![]() ![]() They joined in hopes of bringing change to South Africa. Jenkin worked alongside Lee as they were a part of the African National Congress (ANC) in London. During the time in which the film took place, racism and segregation were overarching problems in society. ![]()
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