El Último Escape

Both Michael Caine(? Last film) and Glenda Jackson (her last film)give touching performances as husband and wife, in this nice, decent drama based on a true story.

I hope both Laura and I see out our days in a residential home by the seafront, like the one they live in here!!!

After a slew of hard going thriller/horrors- Nowhere, The Passenger it's nice to see something light and friendly- like a hot chocolate under the duvet on a cold wet day.

I took Mum to see this at the Curzon and she enjoyed it- seeing it at home with Dad in a fugue of cigarette smoke and heavy atmosphere would have dimmed the experience.

The general consensus of the elderly patrons at the screening was that it was a nice, moving film, well acted- I agree.

This is mainly going to be remembered as Glenda Jackson's last movie, and what a glorious swansong it is. Her ancient, heavily lined face - far removed from the face of Elizabeth the First, the role that sealed her stardom in 1971 - conveys shades of emotion that not all actresses can hint at. She's playing Irene Jordan, the wife of Bernard (Michael Caine) who has gone AWOL from the care home in which they live, taking himself off to Normandy to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings.

This is another of those small movies with a big heart. Nothing very dramatic happens (apart from brief flashbacks to D-Day which Bernard's best pal did not survive). John Standing has a nice supporting role as another veteran who takes Bernard under his wing; there was a hint of camp in Standing's performance, which made me think an LGBT 'attitude' moment could and should have been shoe-horned in.

Michael Caine has weathered the years better than Jackson (or he's had some work done, which Glenda very clearly has not). His performance is not quite as subtle as hers, but this is a beguiling and totally believable reconstruction of an episode which made the papers back in 2014. A couple who have loved each other for seventy years are two people you have to take your heart.

RIP Glenda, one of the finest actresses Britain ever produced. And Happy Retirement to Sir Michael, who has given us a great deal of pleasure in a long and splendidly wide-ranging screen career.

The world will probably never forget the Normandy landings for a variety of reasons.

1 of those is because it was a time of huge sacrifice, pain and suffering, leading to joyous success.

But then despite lives lived in the intervening years by the survivors, the story of sacrifice, pain and suffering continues for all concerned.

"There's no escape for anyone", but at least those who survived "Made a life worth living".

The roles of Bernard and Irene were played with such nuance and intelligence by Caine and Jackson that it brought me to tears. 90 and 87 years old respectively and they still act with such grace and authenticity. They reminded me of what made this country and what helped make the world a relatively peaceful place afterwards.

But people like Bernard live an unseen life, with all of their memories usually forgotten when they die. Which is sad because war is about people, experiences, and memories, and when the people die the memories die with them.

This film should stand as a tribute to the very few who are left, and remind us to make a life, so that the ones who lost their lives didn't do so in vain.

So much to enjoy in this film. Caine and Jackson are superb. Glenda died soon after completing work on the film and Michael has more than hinted that this might be his final film. That being the case, what a tremendous film for them both to go out on. The film is beautifully photographed on the English south coast and in France and has a gorgeous score by Craig Armstrong that supports and enhances the narrative. A story of determination, love, life, death and hope. The story is simple but none the worse for that. Set in 2014, Bernie and Rene live in a carehome in Hove. Bernie decides to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy despite missing out on a place on the offical trips. So he gets a bus from Hove to Dover and travels by ferry to france. The film tells the story of the people he meets and places he goes. Poignent and sad but also life affirming this is a fabulous film. However, when we saw it we were the only people in the cinema and I read it has so far failed to find a distributor for the US market. I sense this could find it's audience when shown on TV and it wouldn't surprise if BBC are saving it to show next June as part of the 80th anniversary celebrations.

An absolutely beautiful film about the thrilling true story of Bernard Jordan, a veteran who travelled alone to the beaches of Normandy in order to pay respects to his fallen comrades. He meets some fellow veterans on his way, an unknowingly becomes a news icon!

The stunning visuals and cinematography are choreographed in such a way to bring out a deep emotional response. I often don't cry at films, but there were a handful of scenes in The Great Escaper that made me shed tears.

There are elements of romance, war drama, and comedy throughout the film, as well as brilliant performances all around, which makes for an enjoyable watch for many.

However, the pacing was way too fast in my opinion. The film is about an hour and a half long, but I feel it would've been better suited to be two hours or two and a half hours.

If you fancy a trip to the cinema, The Great Escaper should be high on your priority list!