L'amico silenzioso

I would stay home if they showed quality like this all the time.But

thats asking for a lot.Well acted- dilemma of giving up your

freedom and pride, paying a big price for " big brother" protection a

good analogy of government and citizens.

Morally complex telemovie with 2 fine lead performances! Is surprisingly gritty and atmospheric and has a really potent and unpredictable ending. Underrated gem.

The Guardian (1984) was one of the many made-for-t.v.-movies that Martin Sheen starred in during the eighties. In this picture he stars as a mealy mouth "liberal" who opposed the strict law enforcement rules of his new apartment security guard (Lou Gossett Jr.) After a several near miss calls for the upper class residents involving the residents, Sheen decides to do some amateur sleuthing and discovers a couple of shady activities that the security guard has been doing. This raises a few questions within Sheen's mind. Does he follow his convictions and rat out the security guard? What about the safety of his neighbors or himself? Will their lives be in peril from the evil hoods that stalk the streets? Why does the Security Guard always acts so shady and secretive? You'll find out the questions to these answers when you watch The Guardian!!

This was a very good t.v. movie. It raises some interesting questions and the film makers leave a t lot of open ended ones as well. Even as a liberal myself, Martin Sheen's character is too stereotypical for my tastes. That's my only qualm with this movie. Other than that, it's a good watch.

Recommended.

Alongside DEADLY VOYAGE this is one of the best films ever to have been made for television . THE GUARDIAN stars Sheen as a white bleeding heart liberal and Gossett Jr as a black draconian fascistic security guard and it`s no coincidence that these two people are written this way or that one`s black and one`s white . Indeed it`s central to the subtext and character arcs . Best part is the climax when Sheen - who goes slightly OTT in this scene , and that`s by no means a criticism - realises that he has to " Geddit up " . If you`re wondering why he doesn`t want to " Geddit up " then you`ll just have to watch this great TVM . You won`t be disappointed

I've not seen this for 26 years, but I remember it well and have tried a number of times to find this movie again so I could watch it once more. It seems that only a few old VHS copies are still around at places like Amazon. I've not had a VHS player for 10 years, so that will do me no good.

It's a great movie and if I am remembering it as it was, Louis Gossett did a near perfect job in his part and as unconventional as he was in his role as the Guardian, he was exactly what they needed. It's one of those politically incorrect stories where you'll find yourself glad it is that way.

I'll keep looking for a DVD but I doubt I'll get another shot at this excellent movie! If you have an opportunity to catch it, make the effort. It's a movie worth your time.