"The Guard" is a VERY unconventional story--mostly because the character Brendan Gleeson plays is so very confusing--in some ways a horrible policeman and in other ways quite extraordinary. On one hand, he sleeps with prostitutes, breaks rules, seems to not care the least about his job and steals some weapons when a kid discovers a hidden cache--the rest he sells to the IRA!! Yet, when it comes to investigating a case involving some cut-throat drug smugglers, he's oddly one of the only men on the force who refuses to be on the take.
This sort of bizarre dichotomous nature becomes VERY obvious when an FBI man (Don Cheadle) is sent to Ireland to help find the drug smugglers. Gleeson treats Cheadle with complete disdain--even overt disrespect. Their pairing is yet another fish out of water combination of two very, very dislike characters. Yet, according to formula, by the end they work together for good.
The film has lots of oddly humorous moments. None of them are laugh out loud moments but the film has quite a few clever moments--as well as MANY strange ones. The sum effect is an odd and uneven film but there's enough good to make it a film I recommend. LOTS of profanity but otherwise a film you could probably let your teens watch.
This sort of bizarre dichotomous nature becomes VERY obvious when an FBI man (Don Cheadle) is sent to Ireland to help find the drug smugglers. Gleeson treats Cheadle with complete disdain--even overt disrespect. Their pairing is yet another fish out of water combination of two very, very dislike characters. Yet, according to formula, by the end they work together for good.
The film has lots of oddly humorous moments. None of them are laugh out loud moments but the film has quite a few clever moments--as well as MANY strange ones. The sum effect is an odd and uneven film but there's enough good to make it a film I recommend. LOTS of profanity but otherwise a film you could probably let your teens watch.