56096

There isn't a superfluous minute or a superfluous line of dialogue in this no nonsense, 62 minute B-movie prison break thriller. It opens with an embezzler being sentenced to seven years. His wife, Rita (Hazel Court) pays £1,500 to a "fixer" called Chandler (William Lucas) to arrange a prison break. The job is entrusted to George Munro (Lee Patterson) who quickly comes up with an elaborate plan. The screenplay, by Peter Barnes, is full of implausibilities, but it is directed at such a bone-rattling pace by Peter Graham Scott that there is no time take too many of the absurdities on board. There is some decent location work and Scott creates some pretty tense moments around the actual breakout. He also manages to squeeze in a car chase, a pub fight and some sexual tension around the unfaithful Rita. The acting is good. Lee Patterson makes for a strong leading man; Billie Whitelaw is good as his wife (whose main ambition appears to be to own a TV) and a young Hazel Court has a bit of the femme fatale vibe as the sexy and mercenary Rita. Dermot Kelly almost steals the show, however, as a faux Irishman who plays an integral role in the breakout plan. ( )