Getaway – Film Review

Ethan Hawke stars as a former racing superstar called Brent Magna, who’s ordered by a mystery villain to steal a state-of-the-art car and complete a series of crazy, high-speed, dangerous daredevil stunts against the clock if he wants to see his wife again. Along the way he manages to pick up the car’s owner, an annoying girl (Selina Gomez) who turns out to have a heart of gold and a razor-sharp brain, and a top banker as a daddy.

This gritty action thriller has no ideas above its B-movie status. It just seeks to thrill with its action, stunts and plot, and to entertain with brain in neutral. This is does totally, and fairly admirably. The location filming in Sofia, Bulgaria, adds freshness and appeal. If it was America all over again, it just wouldn’t be this interesting. Even taking into account CGI, the stunts and car wrecks are amazing, as they’d have to be. Half the $18million budget must have been spent on these.

It doesn’t stay in the mind for a split second after it’s over, but for 90 minutes it grips and entertains nicely. You’d think Hawke could find better quality work, after all he’s a proper actor stuck in a no-acting-required role, but he does it commendably well. When the script gives him the odd good sarcastic throwaway line, he spits it out like a winner. Hawke and Gomez are the screen’s oddest couple, but the pairing works just fine.

I’m not going to tell you the identity of the star mystery villain. See if you can puzzle out who it is before he’s finally revealed at the film’s climax.

(C) Derek Winnert 2013 derekwinnert.com