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‘Escape’ captures viewers, critics

PLATTSBURGH — Ben Stiller’s much anticipated — at least locally — take on the notorious 2015 escape of two vicious killers from Clinton Correctional Facility is drawing mostly rave reviews, here and nationally.

The first episode of the seven-part Showtime miniseries “Escape at Dannemora” premiered at Cumberland 12 Cinemas in Plattsburgh on Thursday night.

Around 675 people had a chance to see three acclaimed actors take on the characters central to the life-altering breakout: Patricia Arquette as prison tailor shop supervisor Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell and Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano as inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat, respectively.

At the premiere, Stiller, who directed and produced the series, called local residents his toughest audience, acknowledging the apprehension here for how this region and its people would be portrayed.

Local reaction

Here’s some reaction, via interview and social media, from locals who attended the premiere:

Mary Loftus: “Thanks (Ben Stiller) for the opportunity to see the first episode of #EscapeatDannemora on the big screen at Cumberland 12. It was riveting. Very cool to see #Plattsburgh on the big screen.”

Kelly Johnson-Eilola: “If you’ve wondered what it’s like to live here, this should give a pretty good idea.”

Amy Couture: “All three of these actors were amazing in the first episode. The sad part is that Benicio Del Toro’s and Paul Dano’s characters were portrayed as the intelligent ones, making professionals in the movie seem so dumb and easy to manipulate.” To which Stiller replied: “Amy, I hope you’ll keep watching and see in future episodes the development of the characters. I am hoping you’ll see a fuller picture …”

Maya: I was at Ben Stiller’s premiere of #EscapeatDannemora in Plattsburgh last night. I think it’s pretty impressive for his first directing gig and all the actors are amazing.”

Travis McDonald: “Thank you Ben Stiller for the opportunity to be part of this series (K9 Team). Your hard work & dedication to getting everything right definitely showed through! You did this story justice & can’t wait to watch the rest of the series.”

Jeremy Leale: “Thank you for inviting the community tonight. It was well received by all in theater 2 and should be a huge success Sunday on Showtime.”

Lori Barber: “What an awesome premiere of #EscapeatDannemora (Ben Stiller) did a great job portraying what really happened and keeping locals and all of us who lived through it in the front and center.”

The Dude: “As a CO who works there, just want to say (thank you) for telling the audience that this story is about a few bad apples and the majority of us do our jobs well. Series looks great, very authentic. Great acting.”

Susan Fresn: “Episode 1… Intriguing, disturbing and emotional. Though some inaccuracies (Joyce would never have been able to wear those tops in prison, and CO Ginger’s hair was too long) absolutely captivating. … I love the soundtrack for North Country Girl …”

Devan: “You truly capture how isolated one can feel in the North Country, especially the long, dark winters. The sense of claustrophobia that could be felt both in and outside the prison walls was powerful. Impressive.”

Reviews

The series is getting plenty of media attention. Stiller is making the rounds of the morning talk shows with other cast members, and major publications are reviewing the series.

The production was the subject of a full-page article in the New York Times on Nov. 11: “Ben Stiller takes a dark turn.”

The three lead actors from “Escape at Dannemora” are featured on the cover of the latest Emmy magazine for the lead article, titled “Showtime goes beyond the brand,” followed by a quote from Showtime Chairman David Nevins: “A brand needs to be much deeper than a slogan. It needs to be a marker of quality.”

The Washington Post review calls “Escape at Dannemora” “a brilliant series for our remorseless time.”

Extolling its difference from most true-crime dramatizations, the Post said, “Once in a great while, viewers get a chance to watch something as magnificently disturbing as Showtime’s ‘Escape at Dannemora,’ a thoroughly gripping seven-part mini-series that succeeds on little more than its commitment to realism, rather than launching a manhunt for deeper meaning.”

Mentioning Stiller’s “unflinching perspective,” the Post calls it “a master work of true-crime dramatization, remarkable in that it feels true in a way that even transcends the record of what happened.”

The Post calls Arquette’s portrayal of Mitchell “astounding” and says Dano “brings a steady and almost feral quality” to his representation of Sweat.

Judging from initial reviews and reactions, there’s a good chance “Escape at Dannemora” could garner additional attention when next year’s Emmy nominations are announced.

See what Press-Republican movie reviewer Steve Ouellette thought of the first episode, Page A4

“A masterful job”

Press-Republican movie reviewer Steve Ouellette gave his first taste of “Escape at Dannemora” high marks:

Episode 1 of the seven-part miniseries “Escape at Dannemora” does a masterful job of drawing in the viewer and building anticipation for what’s to come.

Director Ben Stiller takes a thorough and leisurely approach, bringing us deep inside the Dannemora prison to show us the dysfunctional inner workings of the facility and introduce us to the main characters.

An unrecognizable Patricia Arquette is amazing at the heart of the story, beginning what will surely be a long series of bad decisions as Joyce Mitchell.

Paul Dano also stands out in the stellar cast as inmate David Sweat, whose elicit relationship with the married Mitchell — featuring some of the unsexiest sex scenes on cable television — is at the heart of episode 1.

Benicio Del Toro oozes both charm and menace as Richard Matt, while David Morse plays correction officer Gene Palmer as a dangerous enabler.

A wintry North Country — primarily Dannemora, but with some Plattsburgh and other locales mixed in — gets plenty of lingering screen time in the background for local viewers who want to feel a little closer to the production.

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