The Guard

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A crowd favourite at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, The Guard is a lively and often hilarious Irish crime comedy. Skillfully directed and smartly written by John Michael McDonagh - the brother of In Bruges director Martin McDonagh- The Guard shares a similarly dry and blackly comic sense of humour and a terrific performance by Brendon Gleeson (In Bruges,and the upcoming Albert Nobbs). Here, Gleeson stars as Sergeant Gerry Boyle, an unconventional small-town cop on the West Coast of Ireland. It's a far cry from the busy streets of Dublin, and in this removed and quiet town, Gerry is far more concerned with the needs of his ailing mother (a lovely turn from Fionnula Flanagan, Transamerica, Waking Ned Devine) than small-town crime. However, when a local murder appears to have connections to a gang of international drug traffickers, Boyle is forced to team up with FBI Agent Everett (Don Cheadle, Crash, Hotel Rwanda). Initially Gerry’s bigoted ways and laidback habits rub his visiting partner the wrong way, but the two men gradually form a grudging alliance. A fresh spin on the buddy/cop formula, The Guard has a lot of fun with cop movie clichés – most notably the sergeant’s constant digs at American cops and cop shows – and Gleeson and Cheadle shine onscreen, with McDonagh making the most of their battling and banter. Gleeson is fantastic as Boyle, relishing every line and balancing his physical heft with a delicate touch for comedy, while Cheadle proves an excellent comic foil. McDonagh transforms what could have been another hackneyed tale of mismatched cops into an intelligent and quick-witted crime saga that still delivers a satisfyingly action-packed climax.    A heady blend of absurdity, dark humour, and emotion, The Guard will leave you smiling.

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