‘A Woman Escapes’ Film Review: Screen Communication

The modern French film, “A Woman Escapes,” draws its title from Robert Bresson’s “A Man Escaped,” which portrays the story of a French Resistance fighter in a Nazi prison in Lyon. Instead, the theme of this personal and reserved film is contemporary and centers on a woman named Audrey, who is dealing with the loss of a close friend in Paris in the midst of the pandemic. Audrey finds solace in screen correspondences, which help her get creative and move past her grief.

The movie’s co-directors, which include Burak Cevik, Sofia Bohdanowicz, and Blake Williams, created the audio and video conversations. The medium becomes part of the message, with the visual textures changing according to the directors’ preferences, such as using 16-millimeter film, high-definition video, and even 3-D.

This production adds to the long history of personal-correspondence films, reflecting the isolating, screen-heavy stretches of the pandemic. Campbell, known for her impressive work in “Anne at 13,000 Ft.,” portrays Audrey, who is working on her laptop while staying at home. The video letters allow the audience to travel outside as well, such as through Cevik’s communications that bring the viewers to the streets of Istanbul while Williams explores Audrey’s locality using Google Maps.

Campbell delivers an unforgettable performance in this film as Audrey, giving a more internal and nuanced portrayal that reflects her skills in collaborating with the director. Audrey’s character uses voice and image to connect with the audience.

“A Woman Escapes”
Not rated. The film is in English and Turkish, with subtitles, and has a running time of 1 hour and 21 minutes. It is now showing in theaters.