The Escape

The Escape is a 2017 British drama film directed by Dominic Savage. It was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. The story follows Tara, a stay at home mother, who is beginning to fall out of love with her husband, Mark, and their kids. Plot Tara (Gemma Arterton) is a wife to Mark (Dominic Cooper) and a stay-at-home mother to two children, Teddy and Florrie. Tara goes to a nearby park and seems upset. There is a passage of time. Tara and Mark are asleep in bed, when they are woken by a phone call. Tara resignedly has sex with Mark, during which she is in tears, unbeknownst to Mark. She helps Mark get ready for work, and takes the children to school. When she leaves the school she stops and stands outside, in distress. The following Saturday morning Tara wakes up early, trying not to wake up Mark. He does wake up and she reluctantly engages in sex with him, again in distress unnoticed by Mark. Following a visit to the park, Mark tries to have sex with her in one of the children's rooms, which she refuses. Mark questions whether she's having an affair which she denies and they argue. Later they're having a BBQ with friends and Mark berates her for not providing drinks for the guests. That evening they are having sex again, and Tara again is crying and in distress. Afterwards she repeatedly whispers that she is not happy, and after some brief discussion with Mark she says she's going to sleep. There is a passage of time. Tara goes to London by herself, where she discovers and buys a book about the tapestries of The Lady and the Unicorn at a second-hand bookseller. Later that evening she discusses with Mark attending an art course and is upset that he does not understand how important it is to her, although he ultimately agrees that she should do whatever makes her happy. Later they go out for dinner, but they are both disconnected. A following morning, Tara takes the children to school and on the drive home stops at the Eurostar Ebbsfleet International railway station. She sits and watches the trains and forgets to pick the children up from school, arriving late. Teddy is particularly upset, and once home Tara becomes enraged and swears at him for moving her book. Enraged, she leaves the house briefly then returns to apologise profusely to the children. Later that evening she discusses with Mark how she doesn't care about being a parent.