The Great Escaper

Riveting without ever feeling sensationalized and moving without being saccharine, Middletown is a captivating tale that combines elements of true crime and coming-of-age stories and proves, once again, that Moss and McBaine are two of the most talented documentarians working today.

It could have a lot of sentimental mush, but with Jackson and Caine on this form, it’s a total heartbreaker.

A moving and surprisingly nuanced drama offering far more than flag-waving nostalgia. Superb performances from Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson ensure the latter’s final screen role is fittingly dignified.

It’s inspiring to watch. Isseks provided the tools and the idea, but the students took the cause to new heights, a symptom of their strong feelings about the governmental negligence occurring in their backyards.

A compelling piece of straightforward true-crime that makes the most of its throwback form.

If its melodrama is unabashedly manipulative, it’s not altogether ineffective at eliciting waterworks.

Caine, as Bernie, allows his natural, domineering presence to carry most of the performance.