Review: Flugten (2009)

[Steve Rhodes]

THE ESCAPE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2010 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****):  ***

It was a lie.  While not a small lie, it was just one lie, but it was a lie 
nonetheless.  Still, as lies go, this one was done for humanitarian 
purposes, so surely it was okay. THE ESCAPE (FLUGTEN) explores the 
consequence of necessary fibs that go too far and go on too long.

Danish journalist Rikke Lyngvig (Iben Hjejle) is in Afghanistan when she is 
captured by Islamic terrorists, a self-righteous bunch who love to think 
that Islam is served best when they murder and torture in the name of their 
god.

These bloodthirsty members of the Taliban aren't above forced recruitment 
into their ranks.  Nazir Osmani (Faegh Zamani), a handsome lad with a head 
full of bushy and curly black hair, has recently suffered two tragedies. 
First his father was killed by U.S. soldiers in the Afghanistan war and his 
uncle, a Taliban member, has forced Nazir to join them in their cause of 
Islamic revolution.

After the Taliban murder Rikke's interpreter and his wife and younger 
daughter, Rikke effectively becomes collateral damage in the war.  The 
Taliban demand that Denmark withdrawal all of their forces in Afghanistan 
within three days, or Rikke will be killed.  When their demand isn't met, 
the Taliban begin to worry that a simple execution won't suffice to drawn 
BBC coverage of the event, so they decide on slow torture before her 
execution.  For the next ten days, they will cut off one of her fingers and 
send the footage of it to the West.

THE ESCAPE starts very well.  Filmed in a dusty and hostile environment in 
which women are forced to cover their faces and men frequently do as well to 
hide their identity, the feeling of deathly foreboding is palpable.

When Nazir bravely decides to free Rikke, with the only condition being that 
she lies to everyone by saying that she knocked him out and escaped on her 
own, the movie shifts gear, going from exciting thriller to a pedestrian 
tale about Rikke's return to work in Denmark.  This long and plodding middle 
section of the film is best forgotten or skipped entirely.

But don't give up on the story.  After Rikke becomes a best-selling author, 
telling of her exciting escape on her own from the terrorists, Nazir shows 
up in Denmark, revealing a very inconvenient truth about Rikke and her claim 
to fame.  In no time, the film's action picks back up again with the same 
intensity that it began.  Will she be able to help Nazir, as he helped her, 
or will he be tried as a terrorist, since the Taliban group he was a member 
of committed numerous atrocities?

You can probably guess the ending, but that's okay, since the acting is good 
and the journey with these actors is worth taking.

THE ESCAPE runs 1:54.  The film is in English and in Danish and Dari with 
English subtitles.

The film is being shown as part of San Jose's Cinequest Film Festival 
(www.Cinequest.org), which runs February 23 through March 7, 2010.


Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: Steve.Rhodes at InternetReviews.com

***********************************************************************

Want reviews of new films via Email?
Just write Steve.Rhodes at InternetReviews.com and put "subscribe" in the 
subject line.