Escape

Three second-rate delinquints - a retired, crippled pickpocket, a man born and raised in a prision who's never seen a day of freedom, and a young loser - escape from the police van that is taking them back to prison when it crashes. They jump a freight train and make their way to the Mediterranean coast, and hide out in an isolated mansion by the sea. In spite of the fact that it's the off-season for tourism, the house seems to be well maintained and strangely well stocked. Almost as strange as the sudden appearance of Nina, a young foreigner, whom the three fugitives have no choice but to hold against her will. However, when Nina is followed by some shady Russian mafia figures, our 'heroes' become accidentally involved in a plutonium-trafficking scheme. In this fast moving feature nobody is what they seem and three escaped criminals turn out to be the only ones amidst lies, plots and seduction who act in the name of honesty.

Directed by Benito Rabal, Escape leans on a strong ensemble — Sancho Gracia, Pablo Carbonell, Carlos Fuentes — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2003.