The Escapist

Current status

Available on dvd. In theatres in The Netherlands as of July 23rd, 2009.

Info

Character: Rizza
Directed By: Rupert Wyatt
Written By: Rupert Wyatt and Daniel Hardy
Genre: Thriller
Produced by: Alan Moloney, Susan Mullen, Patrick O'Donoghue, Adrian Sturges and Tristan Whalley
Production companies: Picture Farm and Parallel Film Productions
Distributed by: Thinkfilm (US)

Summary

Frank Perry is an institutionalized convict twelve years into a life sentence without parole. When his estranged daughter falls ill, he is determined he make peace with her before it's too late. He develops an ingenious escape plan, and recruits a dysfunctional band of escapists - misfits with a mutual dislike for one other but united by their desire to escape their hell hole of an existence. Much of the action takes place within the tunnels, sewers and underground rivers of subterranean London

Main Cast

Brian Cox (Frank Perry)
Joseph Fiennes (Lenny Drake)
Liam Cunningham (Brodie)
Seu Jorge (Viv Batista)
Dominic Cooper (Lacey)
Steven Mackintosh (Tony)
Damian Lewis (Rizza)

Release dates

UK 20 June 2008
United Arab Emirates 30 October 2008
Kuwait 20 November 2008
UK 2 February 2009 (DVD premiere)
Finland 18 March 2009 (DVD premiere)
Sweden 25 March 2009 (DVD premiere)
USA 3 April 2009 (limited)
New Zealand 28 May 2009
Australia 16 July 2009
Netherlands 23 July 2009

Film festivals

Sundance Film Festival (21 January 2008)
Dublin Film Festival (24 February 2008)
Gent International Film Festival (11 October 2008)
Turin Film Festival (24 November 2008)
Boston Independent Film Festival (26 April 2009)

Filming locations

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
John Player Factory, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
Kilmainham Jail, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
London, England, UK

Press kits

Here's the Australian press kit (pdf) for The Escapist.

Damian about his role

Damian Lewis "It's an important but small role," admits Damian of his character. "I see Rizza as the evil centre of the prison. He's a self styled prison boss, he's running the prison from the inside. He has to control his younger brother who's a loose cannon."

"Rizza is an unusual kind of figure in the prison: the prison and the people inside the prison were his boys and that's how he wanted it to be. He never wanted his authority challenged; he'd do anything to maintain that status quo. It's quite an effeminate role and that ties in nicely with the brother. There's malevolence but effeteness at the same time."

Damian especially enjoyed the moral ambiguities of Rizza. "He's very affectionate about his brother - he'd do anything to protect him but he's utterly ruthless. You have to be to remain at the top in this setting. He does business daily through violence and intimidation, but I liked the idea that there was something effeminate about him - something preening and self-regarding. He's a thug but also a weird feminine sophistication."