JACK TAYLOR: THE GUARDS

Ireland, 2010, 100 minutes, Colour.
Iain Glen, Ralph Brown, Frank O’ Sullivan, Nora- Jane Noone.
Directed by Stuart Orme.

Jack Taylor: the Guards is the first of a series of six telemovies focusing on the exploits of a member of the Garda, Jack Taylor. It was followed by Jack Taylor: The Pikemen.

The setting is the city of Galway, the photography giving audiences the atmosphere of the city, it streets, homes, police precincts, factories, as well as views of the water and Galway Bay. This is a great advantage for the authentic feel of the films.

The film shows the work of the Garda, the police work, diligent, with some corrupt officials. In the first film Taylor confronts a corrupt minister of the government and is dismissed from the Garda, although he keeps the overcoat against the wishes of the authorities – who finally allowed him to keep it at the end of The Pikemen.

In the first film, there are mysterious deaths of young women, their bodies found on the docks. A woman comes to ask Taylor to investigate her missing daughter. As it turns out, she is lying and is really trying to find an artist, a close friend of Taylor whose portrait he had painted, but he was involved in shady deals, especially in Kosovo where the woman worked. This leads to a businessman in the city and the number of deaths. In the final confrontation, the woman shoots the artist dead but the chief inspector pushes his body into the bay and everyone goes away with the case considered closed.

Taylor then goes to Dublin for a year but returns when he receives a letter from a close friend whose son has been murdered. The audience sees the killing, a group of masked men hounding the victim to his death. This opens up a group of vigilantes in the town, the chief forcing his young son to become a member of the group, the boy having been responsible for the disappearance of his sister sometime earlier. The pikemen choose targets who have exploited their victims. With the murder, things become more complicated, especially with Taylor’s arrival, and his being framed for the murder of a businessman. The addition to this film is the arrival of a young man, devoted to Taylor, wanting to be an investigator, much to Taylor’s initial annoyance, but finding that he saved his life.

There is a great deal of pathos in this story.

The Jack Taylor films were directed by Stewart Orme, a veteran television director, Merlin, Inspector Lewis.

1. The beginning of the series? The introduction to Taylor, his age, experience, his drinking? His skill as a policeman? With Clancy, accosting the Minister, punching him, losing his job? His becoming a finder? His lonely life, his friendship with Kate and her joining the Garda? Her helping him with the case? His drinking? His boarding and the friendly landlady? Affirming him?

2. The Galway locations, the impressions of the city, impressions of the water, the Bay? Musical score?

3. Ann, tracking him down, her request, the photo of her daughter? The connection with his friend, Sutton? Sutton appearing and disappearing over the years? Sutton in Kosovo? His painting of Taylor, its being in the window, the opening of the exhibition and the guests? Taylor’s mixed relationship with Sutton?

4. The bartender, friendship with Taylor, Taylor calling him his confessor, Sutton running him down in case the bartender had revealed what Sutton had told him when drunk? The impact on Taylor?

5. Sutton, the wealthy businessman, his supporting the painter, the exhibition?

6. The link with Ford, his factory, Taylor breaking in, finding the DVDs, the revelation that Ford was finding girls for the businessman? Their deaths? Ford and his death? Sutton pursuing him – and claiming that the death was an accident?

7. Ann, the truth, not looking for her daughter, looking for Sutton, to confront him about his behaviour with a group of children in Kosovo, their safekeeping, their being killed? Or, their being sold to couples in America?

8. Clancy and his suspicions, criticisms of Taylor, wanting the coat?

9. The build-up to the confrontation, Sutton on his boat, his taking Ann, Taylor confronting him, the gun, Ann shooting Sutton?

10. Clancy’s decision to roll the body into the water, to let Ann and Taylor go?