Castles in the Sky (2014)

It is the mid-1930s and the storm clouds of WWII are forming in Germany. This film charts the work of Robert Watson Watt, the pioneer of Radar, and his hand-picked team of eccentric yet ... See full summary »

Director:

Gillies MacKinnon

Writer:

Ian Kershaw

Stars:

Eddie Izzard, Laura Fraser, Arran Tulloch

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eddie Izzard	...	Robert Watson Watt
Laura Fraser	...	Margaret Watson Watt
Arran Tulloch	...	Pat
Lesley Harcourt	...	Helen - Secretary
Alex Jennings	...	Henry Tizard
David Hayman	...	Frederick Lindemann
Julian Rhind-Tutt	...	Albert Rowe
Karl Davies	...	Arnold 'Skip' Wilkins
Stephen Chance	...	Scientist
Carl Heap	...	Scientist
Celyn Jones	...	Edward 'Taffy' Bowen
Iain McKee	...	Higgy
Joe Bone	...	Bainbridge Bell
Nick Elliott	...	Navy Guard
Tim McInnerny	...	Winston Churchill

Storyline

It is the mid-1930s and the storm clouds of WWII are forming in Germany. This film charts the work of Robert Watson Watt, the pioneer of Radar, and his hand-picked team of eccentric yet brilliant meteorologists as they struggle to turn the concept of Radar into a workable reality. Hamstrung by a tiny budget, seemingly insurmountable technical problems and even a spy in the camp, Watson Watt also has to deal with marital problems as he chases his dream. By 1939, Watson Watt and his team have developed the world's first Radar system along the south east coast of England - a system that, in 1940, will prove pivotal in winning the Battle of Britain.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 2014 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Scotland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hero Productions, Black Camel Pictures, The Open University

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

The white van 890 UXL used in a pre-WW2 scene is a Bedford KZ Spurling Ambulance which wasn't built until 1952.

User Reviews

Enjoyable and Informative

In 5 years, this is only the second review that I have done on IMDb. The reason for this review is that there were only 4 other user reviews and this movie deserves much more so here I am writing a review. I started off watching by myself and a few minutes into the movie my son joined me. My son is an action movie buff and will usually leave the room if it isn't action so I was surprised to find him still there at the end of 'Castles In the Sky'. Not only was he still there, he initiated a discussion about the movie with respect to his new-found know knowledge of just how important radar was in helping Britain win the second world war. This movie was also very inspiring since Robert Watts developed radar in the face of adversity and very much to his credit, he was able to overcome many obstacles while under immense pressure. I know that myself and my son left this movie with a 'can- do' attitude. The acting was superb and even though it was a dark time for England, there was some light-hearted scenes which were thoroughly enjoyed by both of us. I can absolutely state that this movie is a good movie that I would highly recommend to others.