Potter fans will likely enjoy seeing Radcliffe reunited on-screen with Philosopher’s Stone co-star Ian Hart as fellow prisoner Denis Goldberg, though this once again sees the actor move further away from the role that made him (here he pushes a metal tube up his backside on entering the prison – bonus points to the foley artist for the accompanying sound effect). Throw in the added complications of an unconvincing wig and a tricky, wavering Joburg accent, and the heart of the movie feels hollow. Escape From Pretoria is the true story of Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, young, white South Africans branded terrorists, and imprisoned in 1978 for working. The jaw-dropping story of how two men broke out of the infamous maximum-security Pretoria Prison - and eventually on to the UK - has been given the Hollywood treatment in new blockbuster. The author was imprisoned by apartheid authorities in Pretoria maximum security prison for his activities on behalf of the ANC. But beyond the character’s extraordinary actions, his characterisation lacks dimensions – Radcliffe puts in a solid performance lumbered by a clunky script (“You are the white Mandela!” a guard blurts early on) that fails to get under the skin of Jenkin or any of the supporting characters. Radcliffe lends admirable clout to an undertold story as Jenkin, who after executing a non-lethal leaflet-bombing explosive protest in the fight for “a democratic and free South Africa” is sentenced to 12 years along with his accomplice Stephen Lee ( Webber). It’s a shame, then, that this adaptation of the true story, released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the breakout, ends up feeling so thin. Escape from Pretoria is based on the true story of Tim Jenkin, who, in 1979, joined two other inmates on a mission to break out of a South African prison. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.Īny changes made can be done at any time and will become effective at the end of the trial period, allowing you to retain full access for 4 weeks, even if you downgrade or cancel.The method of prison-break at the heart of Escape From Pretoria feels made for the movies: Tim Jenkin ( Radcliffe), a political prisoner in Apartheid-era South Africa, hand-crafted a set of wooden keys, whittled in secret and maneuvered into his cell door via a complex contraption of levers, to facilitate his bid for freedom. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. During an exploratory story and financing trip to South Africa in 2017, director Francis Annan and producer Mark Blaney ventured to the real Pretoria Prison, which is now called Pretoria's Women's Correctional Centre, to retrace the steps of the 1979 escapees. If you’d like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial. If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for $69 per month.įor cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Elsewhere in the city, director Francis Annan finds Jenkin and fellow activist Stephen Lee (Daniel Webber) in the last moments of staging what looks to be a bombing, the device planted on a busy. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here.Ĭhange the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. The slightly political prison thriller Escape From Pretoria works best when onscreen action is focused on Daniel Radcliffe, playing real-life South African political prisoner Tim Jenkin, as. Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. During your trial you will have complete digital access to FT.com with everything in both of our Standard Digital and Premium Digital packages. Those now in self-isolation may nod in solidarity at Escape from Pretoria, in which Daniel Radcliffe stars as jailed ANC activist Tim Jenkin, brooding in a cell in apartheid South Africa.For.
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