MovieChat Forums > The Night Manager (2016) Discussion > Cake and Eat it Too?

Cake and Eat it Too?

posted 8 years ago by urthpainter
4 replies | jump to latest

This is a question for people who have completed the series. Just to be absolutely clear about the proverb: one cannot or should not have or want more than one deserves or can handle, or that one cannot or should not try to have two incompatible things. Spoilers are involved below.

The way The Night Manager wraps up seemed to pander to a perfect outcome: complete revenge, minimal sacrifice, and a happy - guy gets girl romantic ending with no consequences.

While this series could certainly be compared to a Bond movie, I felt through the first 4 episodes there was a harder edge, and less stylization that rationalizes a Bond ending. In the BBC series The Shadow Line a lot of the content goes in exactly the opposite direction, piling on harsh outcomes onto an already harsh reality... and yet, as a viewer I felt way more satisfied at the end of The Shadow Line that at the end of The Night Manager.

Am I being too harsh? Did the outcome in the The Night Manager fit the build up?

[–] angelofvic 8 years ago

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As far as I know, the ending of this miniseries is different from Le Carre's ending of the book. But as I haven't read the book, I don't know how it is different.

That said, I totally liked and was on board with this miniseries' ending. I do not in any way think it was a "Bond ending" or that the series was anything like anything Bond.
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[–] urthpainter 8 years ago

yea, has nothing to do with espionage, attractive people, style, exotic locations, noir'ish babe, revenge against all adversaries, and a perfect ending for the protagonist...

[–] MrVibrating 8 years ago

On the other hand, Bond has more action, and though he is an agent, Bond rarely needs to fool people of his identity, thus the suspense element is not there in the same way.

[–] greyhelm-91337 8 years ago

I agree the ending was way too Hollywood. Would've been much better if Hamid Sr came to pine in the last scene and took him for revenge.