BEHIND THE LINE: ESCAPE TO DUNKIRK is available now on DVD & Digital Platforms by 101 Films International.
Based on the well-worn but good premise of sportsmen, this time a boxer, caught behind enemy lines… ‘Behind the Lines,’ is a competently made film. With a specific audience in mind, this romp about guys fighting for honour is ambitious and spirited, and part of a current wave of low budget films reinventing and mining history for good story lines and settings. Shot for a low budget, but a well-managed one, the film punches above its weight in more ways than one, if you’ll forgive the corny joke.
With a good support cast around him, the film stars Sam Gittens. Already a veteran of a clutch of features and a support role in Eastenders, Gittens works hard with director Ben Mole to pull the story lines together. He also has an onscreen, street-smarts charisma which is engaging. Playing the role of Boxing champion, Danny Finnegan, his back story is set up fairly well, as are the fight sequences and action scenes.
However, if it’s subtlety you’re looking for, think again. This is unashamedly a film that tightly sets up the action, but is a bit loose on the emotional side. This is partly due to an unrealistic all male cast, bar one role, the part of the French farmer’s daughter. Given this is a film set in the French countryside about the Nazi advance in 1939, this is a bit unrealistic, and a wasted opportunity to help punch up the action and drama. However, ‘Chantalle,’ played by Jennifer Martin, manages to memorably hold her own in this sea of guys. Alas, her accent slips about a bit, and this might be due to not enough rehearsal time or direction, but there’s an entertaining, sincere quality about her, and as the only female cast member, she does amazingly well.
The film is also supported massively by the cinematography. It is competent, and covers well. There is a feeling though, that the schedule and budget were too tight for any real creative collaboration about the ‘look’ of the film, but the lens choices are great for close up. There are also a few drone shots, but generally the film lacks any real visual sparkle. However again, this is just fine as, ‘Behind the Line,’ is an ideal film for a late-night, small-screen adventure with your mates and a few beers. It captures exactly what those who choose a film like this want to see, really good fight sequences, well covered, and men fighting against the odds. It is transparently a film aimed at a particular audience, and will do very well. Its producers are to be applauded.
Beer necessary, pretzels and fake German accent optional. Sit back and enjoy the ride. 
BEHIND THE LINE: ESCAPE TO DUNKIRK is available now on DVD & Digital Platforms by 101 Films International.
Jane Foster
janecreates@23-films.com
