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The Night Watch

  • TV Movie
  • 20112011
  • TV-14TV-14
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
Anna Maxwell Martin and Claire Foy in The Night Watch (2011)
  • Drama
  • Romance
  • War
In post-war London, Viv Pearce is dating Reggie and runs a dating bureau with Helen Giniver, who lives with her older lover, authoress Julia Standing. Viv's younger brother Duncan, a gay man... Read allIn post-war London, Viv Pearce is dating Reggie and runs a dating bureau with Helen Giniver, who lives with her older lover, authoress Julia Standing. Viv's younger brother Duncan, a gay man made to feel ashamed of his orientation, has been in prison and is sought out by his ex-c... Read allIn post-war London, Viv Pearce is dating Reggie and runs a dating bureau with Helen Giniver, who lives with her older lover, authoress Julia Standing. Viv's younger brother Duncan, a gay man made to feel ashamed of his orientation, has been in prison and is sought out by his ex-cell-mate, Robert Fraser, who served time as a conscientious objector and is now concerned ... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Richard Laxton
  • Writers
    • Sarah Waters(novel)
    • Paula Milne(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jenna Augen
    • Neal Barry
    • Claudie Blakley
Top credits
  • Director
    • Richard Laxton
  • Writers
    • Sarah Waters(novel)
    • Paula Milne(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jenna Augen
    • Neal Barry
    • Claudie Blakley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 8User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Photos

    Anna Maxwell Martin and Claire Foy in The Night Watch (2011)
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    Top cast

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    Jenna Augen
    • Iris Knightas Iris Knight
    Neal Barry
    Neal Barry
    • Mr. Bryantas Mr. Bryant
    Claudie Blakley
    Claudie Blakley
    • Nancy Carmichaelas Nancy Carmichael
    Lucy Briers
    • Binkieas Binkie
    Richard Cambridge
    Richard Cambridge
    • Policemanas Policeman
    Kenneth Cranham
    Kenneth Cranham
    • Horace Mundyas Horace Mundy
    Chas Early
    Chas Early
    • Prisoner #1as Prisoner #1
    JJ Feild
    JJ Feild
    • Robert Fraseras Robert Fraser
    Claire Foy
    Claire Foy
    • Helen Giniveras Helen Giniver
    Liam Garrigan
    Liam Garrigan
    • Reggie Nigrias Reggie Nigri
    Richard Huw
    • James Imrieas James Imrie
    Caitlin Innes Edwards
    Caitlin Innes Edwards
    • O'Neilas O'Neil
    Phill Langhorne
    Phill Langhorne
    • Cyclistas Cyclist
    • (as Phillip Langhorne)
    Colin Mace
    Colin Mace
    • Harry Hughesas Harry Hughes
    Stephen Matthews
    Stephen Matthews
    • Auntie Vias Auntie Vi
    Anna Maxwell Martin
    Anna Maxwell Martin
    • Kay Langrishas Kay Langrish
    Paul Ritter
    Paul Ritter
    • Mr. Pearceas Mr. Pearce
    Kris Saddler
    Kris Saddler
    • Airmanas Airman
    • Director
      • Richard Laxton
    • Writers
      • Sarah Waters(novel)
      • Paula Milne(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In post-war London, Viv Pearce is dating Reggie and runs a dating bureau with Helen Giniver, who lives with her older lover, authoress Julia Standing. Viv's younger brother Duncan, a gay man made to feel ashamed of his orientation, has been in prison and is sought out by his ex-cell-mate, Robert Fraser, who served time as a conscientious objector and is now concerned for the young man's welfare. Viv encounters Kay Langrish, a wealthy, reclusive, butch lesbian and for both women this evokes memories of the period three years earlier (1944) when Kay was an heroic ambulance driver in a happy, loving relationship with Helen -- before Kay introduced her to her ex-lover Julia. At that time, Viv and Reggie are forced to procure the services of a dentist moonlighting as an abortionist. About to die from blood loss, and having been abandoned by Reggie, Kay saves her from prosecution by claiming she was a married woman who had miscarried. Three years before that (1941) Kay and Julia are still an item and Viv meets unhappily married soldier Reggie on a train. Kay pulls Helen from the wreckage of a bombed house, finding the innocent young woman she has always wanted to love and care for. We also learn the gruesome details of why Duncan was in prison, which follows a suicide pact with the boy he loved, in response to the war and the draft. As the scene returns to 1947 there are happier endings for some and optimist outlooks for others as they move forward. —don @ minifie-1; kumarihpx
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    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Romance
      • War
    • Certificate
      • TV-14
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

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    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Kay Langrish: [voiceover] Someone once said a happy ending depends on where you decide to stop your story. Then again, it could be when you realise your story is not yet over; that you are only at the end of the beginning.

    • Connections
      Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 12 July 2011 (2011)

    User reviews8

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Moments of greatness
    Adapting a book to the screen is tough. You need to be brutal, cutting away entire plot lines, even characters to serve your purpose. I haven't read The Night Watch but this adaptation shows all the signs of a too-reverential approach. That's a shame because it gets a lot of things right, a few breathtakingly so. In those moments, it's unlike anything I've seen. You could pitch it as Aimee and Jaguar meets The End of the Affair but at its best it's better than either of those films. It's Anna Maxwell Martin's portrayal of Kay Langrish that takes it to those heights. Claire Foy turns in a wonderful performance but she has less to work with. Unfortunately, The Night Watch is also saddled with at least one too many plot strands and a stunning miscalculation in thinking that Bath and or Bristol could double for wartime London. I know it's hard to find much of the capital that hasn't been tarted up since 1945 but west country stone and Georgian porticos, along with hills that put Lisbon to shame, don't fool anyone. And there are other misjudgments. There's a technical device which is used three times. You'll know it when you see it. The first use is amazing, emotionally spot on. The second is just confusing and the third downright clunky. As is some of the dialogue. "War changes people... and not necessarily for the better." In a book, that leadenly expositional second phrase may be necessary. In a film, it's amateurish. With a firmer, more demanding hand, this might have stood as a genuinely great work. Even as is, it's better than almost anything else you'll find on British or American TV so enjoy, despite the flaws. You won't regret it.
    helpful•11
    2
    • johnklem
    • May 22, 2012

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 12, 2011 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Official BBC page.
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ночной дозор
    • Filming locations
      • Bath, Somerset, England, UK
    • Production company
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • £1,400,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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