At the prime of their successes, Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson were the darlings of British cinema. He was the king of action and adventure, many hits including The Italian Job, Zulu, the Harry Palmer movies, and The Man Who Would Be King. She was the Oscar-winning actress in Women in Love and A Touch of Class, and they both starred in the drama The Romantic Englishwoman. Now they are back together for a British film about the real events of Bernard Jenkins, a man on his own adventure, and they still absolutely shine.

Bernard Jenkins is 90 years old and lives with his wife, Irene, in a residential home. Bernard wants to go to the 70th anniversary celebrations of the D-Day landings but is told he is too late. Instead of staying at home, he decides to take the pilgrimage alone to France, while his wife, suffering from ill health, tries to keep his trip secret from the nurses, turning the act from a missing person to heroic.

The tale was heavily reported back in 2014 in which Bernard was called The Great Escaper, hence the title. Oliver Parker’s film, however, only uses the events as a front for the real story, that of the love between two people who have loved each other all their lives.

It could have been easy for Parker and writer William Ivory to focus on this plucky old man and his decision to travel across the Channel, with no thought for his own personal safety, to attend the celebration. Instead, the film is broken down into sections: his journey, his wife’s silence, and the flashbacks of events during the landing as well as the first time this couple caught each other’s eye. The scenes with Bernie as he makes his way, making friends with a former RAF pilot and a young soldier who relies on prosthetics after losing his legs after stepping on a land mine are the least effective of the story threads. It feels like one subplot too many.

Where Bernie’s journey works is when he finds himself faced with a former German soldier and his trip to a large grave site. Suddenly this light-hearted adventure becomes incredibly poignant and has more power in their short moments than a full-blown Hollywood blockbuster about war.

Keeping things lighter is the exploits of Irene, a wheelchair-bound woman who sends her nurses and carers around the houses when her husband makes off until she can’t hold it back anymore, and the press becomes fascinated with their story. With a naughty twinkle in her eye, she is as playful as she was when she was young, yet her love for her husband is constantly in view.

It also involves two flashbacks. One which follows Bernie and Irene’s love when they first meet and Bernie’s experience on one of the many vehicles taking tanks to the beaches, and trying to persuade a terrified soldier that everything will be fine. These sequences help you understand where Bernie is coming from.

With two incredible characters, you need two incredible actors. Caine and Jackson do not disappoint. Caine is one of the best screen actors around, who doesn’t need to say a word and yet you know exactly what is going on in his mind. As Bernie, he brings a level of subtle gentleness while trying to hide the demons he has carried regarding the young soldier. It’s a beautifully controlled performance from an actor who, five years ago, said he was retiring and never going to make another film. Our luck he changed his mind. Equally good is the brilliant Glenda Jackson as Irene. She’s the light to Caine’s dark. With a pitch-perfect Northern accent, she exudes comic timing, brimming with warmth and charm. It’s a perfect swan song for an actress of her talent.

The Great Escaper is a triumph. A funny, touching and profoundly moving tale goes deeper than most love stories and hits harder than most war dramas. It will surprise you just how emotional you will feel, and don’t be surprised if you leave all puffy-eyed and red-faced. Captivating.

4 out of 5

Director: Oliver Parker

Starring: Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, John Standing, Danielle Vitalis, Will Fletcher, Laura Marcus, Victor Oshin, Donald Sage Mackay

Written by: William Ivory

Running Time: 96 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 6th October 2023