The Great Escaper (12A)

Dir. Oliver Parker, UK, 2023, 96 mins. Cast. Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, Danielle Vitalis.

In the summer of 2014 – the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings – octogenarian Bernie Jordan (Michael Caine) made global headlines. He’d staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades. It was a story that captured the imagination of the world – Bernie seemed to embody the defiant, “can-do” spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing.

But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was the story we all tell ourselves to make war and old age bearable. The bitter-sweet script explores the reality with wit and a very big heart. Bernie’s adventure, spanning a mere 48 hours, also marked the culmination of his 60-year marriage to Irene (Glenda Jackson) – the story celebrates their love without sentimentality and with an eye to the lessons we can all learn from the Greatest Generation.

For detailed information about the film’s age rating and content notices, you can visit the BBFC website and search the film title, then scroll down to the “Content Advice” section: www.bbfc.co.uk

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