MIDNIGHT MAN
UK, 2008, 135 minutes, Colour.
James Nesbitt, Catherine Mc Cormack, Reece Dinsdale, Ian Puleston- Davies, Danny Nussbaum.
Directed by David Drury.
Midnight Man was screened as a three-part television miniseries. It is an interesting political drama, the city 2008 in London, remembering 9/11, the invasion of Iraq, the bond between the British government and the Bush Administration. The screenplay creates quite a conspiracy.
James Nexbitt is Max,a journalist whose career has been ruined by his giving a name of his source and her subsequent hanging herself. He now cannot go out during the day, hence the Midnight Man. The film shows his continued detection, given information about a government minister’s affair, rummaging through rubbish, finding documents and following up. In the meantime, the audience sees an abduction of a young Iranian man and his execution, as well as the executioners themselves who emerge as a special death squad, called The Fist of God.
There are some personal aspects, his alienation from his wife, his love for his daughter and their being in danger because of his work. He also consults a psychiatrist, played by Peter Capaldi.
Further investigations lead to a Think Tank, linked with Conservative politicians and American businessman as well as weapons production companies.
Robert Graves appears, very suave, as the head of the company. Catherine Mc Cormack is his assistant. Max challenges them, gets some support from, Alice, the assistant, makes contact with an old friend, another journalist, gets the help of a woman working in a club who had been a lawyer in Albania, pursues the wife of one of the killers.
There is plenty of action – and with some twists at the end.
The plot is relevant, even in years after the production of the film, where terrorist groups are targeted, and also financed, and Conservative powers want to create situations of tension so that business corporations continue to make money from weapons – even in the name of preserving Christian Western culture.
Midnight Man was directed by David Drury. His first film in 1986, Defence of the Realm, had political themes. His career has been principally in television.
1. Television film/series? British? Contemporary politics? Conspiracy theories, the media? Character study and thriller?
2. The title, as referenced in Max, only going out at night, his reasons, psychological state, guilt and memories? Overcoming his phobia?
3. 2008, London, the vistas, especially at night, the buildings, the river? London atmosphere? Musical score?
4. 2008 politics, the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, attitudes towards war, the role of government ministers, their private lives and blackmail? Hostility towards Iran? The US and Bush administration? Bonds with the US? The memory of the bombings in London, July 2005? Terror cells, plots, the Conservative stands on preserving the Christian way of life Think Tanks, defence ministries, companies, weapons companies, technology? Issues of war and peace, the business of war, and the need for more warfare?
5. Defence and weaponry conspiracy, the need for an equivalent 9/11 event?
6. Max, his story, his wife and daughter, his career, friends at university, the leftist stances, his work as a journalist, with Jimmy and Helen, the coup, the enquiry, his giving Helen’s name, her hanging herself, his becoming a pariah? Links with Jimmy?
7. In retrospect, the planning of the conspiracy, the involvement of links, devious manipulation, fears, the many people involved?
8. Information about the Minister and his affair, the planting of documents? Max and rummaging in the garbage, his method of getting information? Follow-up? Out in the night, the visit to his wife, exasperation, wanting the old Max back, reading to his daughter, JFK conspiracies?
9. The football practice, the abduction, the young man being shot, photography and the DVD? The decision about the bullet in his head, the headless torso?
10. Max, loss of his career, accused of being paranoid, his obsessions, following leads, finding documents? Going to the club, the Albanian girl who had been a lawyer? Talk, help, his going, staying with her later?
11. Daniel, Alice, Max phoning, and the visit? Daniel, his suave manner, his company and its goals, conservative Christian culture, Think Tank, the connections with Hagan, Hagan’s speech? Daniel in the office, his relationship with Alice, meeting at the bar? The USB stick, Alice returning it, the key in the drawer? Max’s confrontation with Daniel? Daniel’s ideology, revelation of the truth, his control, the list, orders?
12. Alice, at work, information about the list, decoding it? Her brother fighting in Afghanistan? The importance of this influence? Alice with Max, seemingly on his side? In her flat, Blake and his attack on her, trying to kill her, Max reviving her? Max and his reaction to her obsession about cleanliness and order?
13. Max in the bus, quiet, Elliott’s presence, his confession, explanation of the squad, the recruiting, the army, the rogue elements, photographing the killing, regretting killing Max’s wife? His shooting himself?
14. Blake, character, ruthless, the pressure on Max, his wife being killed? The daughter in police custody?
15. Max, following through with the Iranians, going to the family, talking with the brother, the explanations, his being pushed from the balcony?
16. Alice, driving with Max, going to the Inns of Court and her warning the next victim (and the revelation that she did not), going with him, rubbish and documents, Elliott’s wife, tracking her to the pharmacy, the disk in the child’s toy, going to the takeaway and her shouting for help?
17. Blake, sinister, his squad, killing the Iranian boy, the list? The killing being photographed? With Hagan? The Fist of God? Confronting Max, the men rebelling, his shooting his henchman? Links, Hagan, Blake killing the group, the gun with Max’s fingerprints?
18. Max tracking down his daughter, playing with her, the gift, the irony of the disk as the gift, phoning his daughter to upload it?
19. Jimmy, the contacts, the meeting on the underground station, Jimmy’s refusal, Max visiting the office, the birthday party, the revelation that he was in league with the group?
20. Brian, the taxi drivers, helping Jimmy, visiting Elliott’s wife, rescuing Max after the wife hit him, putting him in the hotel, revealing this when threatened by Blake? The phone call, at the house, hitting Blake?
21. The effect on Max, his going to his psychiatrist, in the night, the discussions, the character of the psychiatrist and his own problems?
22. Max, shrewd, the police and his wife’s death? The discussions with the Iranians? The list? Alice and the decoding, finding his own name?
23. Stealing the doll, switching the DVDs, Alice and her change of heart, Max confronting her? The uploading of the DVD, Daniel and Alice watching it?
24. The conspiracy, the dark side of politics, the plan, not succeeding?
25. Max, drinking in the supermarket, chatting with the checkout woman? The playing of the DVD? The happy ending, the family reunited?
