Film Review – The Escape

A few weeks ago there was “Tully,” which explored depression emerging from the pains of motherhood and chemical imbalance. It was meant to be a dark comedy with particular sensitivity to the demands of parenthood. “The Escape” handles basically the same idea, but writer/director Dominic Savage goes down a much bleaker route with the material, which is delivered with complete sobriety. “The Escape” offers a personal journey of mental erosion and domestic suffocation, and while Savage tends to the pressure points of household responsibility, he also provides a commentary on gender roles and marital enslavement, giving the screenplay some grit to go along with its study of self-destruction. It’s not a cheery picture, but its level of melancholy is haunting, especially when interpreted by star Gemma Arterton, who delivers career-best work in the challenging feature.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com