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The Great Escaper

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6.5/10 • 134

2023-10-061h 36m

HistoryDramaWar

Inspired by a true love story.

In the summer of 2014, a World War II veteran sneaks out of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Directors
Oliver Parker
Writters
William Ivory
Editors
William Ivory, Paul Tothill

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Michael Caine

    Michael Caine

    Bernard Jordan

  2. Glenda Jackson

    Glenda Jackson

    Irene Jordan

  3. John Standing

    John Standing

    Arthur

  4. Will Fletcher

    Will Fletcher

    Young Bernard

  5. Laura Marcus

    Laura Marcus

    Young Irene

  6. Victor Oshin

    Victor Oshin

    Scott

  7. Danielle Vitalis

    Danielle Vitalis

    Adele

  8. Joe Bone

    Joe Bone

    Tim

  9. Donald Sage Mackay

    Donald Sage Mackay

    Nathan

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Oct 8, 2023

7/10

This is one of those contemporary, really quite touching, dramas that we won't be able to make for too much longer. It centres around an elderly couple, who have been together for seventy years, and live a semi-independent life in a care home. During a routine chat with their nurses, "Rene" (Glenda Jackson) discovers that her husband "Bernie" (Sir Michael Caine) had wanted to go to the impending celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, but that all the tickets had gone. She makes it pretty clear that if he wants to go, well then he ought to just go! Armed with a only a carrier bag and a few quid, he takes a ferry and heads off on a trip that is going to induce some fairly horrific memories of events in 1945 - which we sparingly see in flashback - but is also going to provide him with a degree of fulfilment and closure on issues that have dogged him ever since. Snag? Well he didn't actually tell anyone he was going, so the home are worried, the police are looking and the media soon get hold of his tale of determination and a degree of celebrity beckons. It's a very characterful story, this, with a gentle chemistry between Jackson and Caine, and also between Caine and his newfound travelling companion "Arthur" (a proud performance from John Standing) as they both have to face their demons past and present. There's plenty of humour - a decent soupçon of sarcasm; along with a spirit of optimism and reconciliation that works well, without drifting into cheesy sentiment, for ninety minutes. It reminded me of the equally poignant BBC drama "A Foreign Field" (1993) and is a good, at times thought-provoking watch.

Media

  • The Great Escaper poster
  • The Great Escaper poster
  • The Great Escaper poster
  • The Great Escaper poster
  • The Great Escaper poster
  • The Great Escaper poster
  • The Great Escaper poster
  • The Great Escaper poster
  • The Great Escaper poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
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