The Guard (2011) User Reviews

Brendan Gleeson is brilliant

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 21 September 2013]

A shipload of cocaine worth $500Million 'Street Value' is coming into Ireland, and the only people who can stop it is Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) and FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle).

Wendell is a straight laced privileged guy on a mission. Gerry is an irreverent drug-doing whore-doing racist-commenting loudmouth cop. So Wendell takes him as an idiot at first. But it's soon obvious to Wendell that Gerry is the smartest guy in the room and he knows all the local players.

Brendan Gleeson has created one of the funniest raunchiest cop character ever. Where else are you going can dialog like this?

"I'm old enough to be your father."

"Well, you can think about that while you're f**king us, if that turns you on."

'I'm Irish. Racism is part of my culture.'

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 31 May 2012]

Something there is that is charming about films set in Ireland with Irish characters speaking in beautiful brogue and THE GUARD fits into that category very comfortably. Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh this is a funny, fast-paced film that manages to poke fun at many points of bigotry (anti-American, racism, the gay lifestyle, etc) in a manner that keeps the comedy rolling. In many ways the film is comparable to the film IN BRUGES, if that helps the reader to categorize in a positive way.

Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleason) is a small-town Irish cop in Western Ireland with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humor, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought straight-laced FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle, in a role that allows him to display his comedic gifts) to his door. Boyle's partner, a gay man Aidan McBride (Rory Keenan), the brunt of many of Boyle's jokes, is shot while making a traffic arrest by the drug smuggling gang (Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, Owen Sharpe, Michael Og Lane) which leaves the cantankerous Boyle to align with the American black FBI agent Everett to solve the case. What begins as a fiction filled alignment ends up as a touching friendship.

McConagh's writing and direction are as fine as they come for films of this sort. It will be necessary for most viewers to turn on the subtitles to understand the brogue (the few Gaelic passages are not translated!). The cast, from the major roles to the minor ones (especially the extraordinarily beautiful Katarina Cas) including Laurence Kinlan and Fionnula Flanagan, is superb. This is a very fine comedy well worth the attention of a very wide audience!

Grady Harp

Gleeson commands the screen from start to finish. Hilarious.

[markgorman · 7/10 · 18 June 2011]

Michael McDonagh is the brother of one of the funniest writers in the world just now. Like him, he is a foul mouthed upstart with a unique ability to investigate Irishness with tremendous energy and vividness.

I was lucky enough to attend the premiere in Edinburgh this week and enjoyed what is another great addition to the McDonagh canon of work.

Inevitably it has to be compared to the superior In Bruges but this is no lightweight cast off. Particularly when it one again focuses on a heavyweight performance by Irish heavyweight, Brendan Gleeson. In "In Bruges" Gleeson had to battle for compliments against Colin Farrell who has never performed better and had most of the best lines. Not here. This is all Gleeson, ably abetted by Don Cheadle as the Black FBI agent drafted in on the back of a glittering career to track down a bunch of slightly bungling drug runners in sleepy old Conemarra - Gleeson's patch.

Gleeson and Cheadle spar well and develop a likable relationship, despite this it's not the heart of the movie; that belongs, again, to Gleeson in a tour de force performance.

Cheadle's good and is a great foil. The baddies are less well developed characters and, for my taste, were slightly too caricaturised.

It's not a life changing film but it has to be seen for Gleeson's complete mastery of McDonagh's marvellous script.

Either Smart or Stupid

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 14 August 2011]

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer/Director John Michael McDonagh is the brother of Martin McDonagh, who brought us the excellent In Bruges (which also starred Brendan Gleeson). I figured it best to say that upfront because there is no way to avoid comparisons of the two films. Clearly these men grew up in the same house and were trained in a brilliant method of writing dialogue.

Brendan Gleeson delivers a powerful and hilarious performance as a local cop (Garda) in rural Ireland. His Sgt Gerry Boyle is quite an enigma - he gets along great with locals, yet struggles to fit into society. This is never more apparent than when FBI Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) hits town on a drug smuggling investigation. The key to their relationship is crystallized at the moment an exasperated Agent Everett says to Boyle, 'I can't tell if you are really smart or really dumb'. Of course, I am paraphrasing because the F-word gets literally worn out in this movie. There aren't many lines I can actually quote in print. But the word rolls off Gleeson's tongue as if it's a work of art ... especially in conversation with his ailing mother, played well by the always terrific Fionnula Flanagan.

The international drug smugglers being chased are a trio led by Liam Cunningham and the always interesting Mark Strong. The endless rips, insults and jokes are fired rapidly at Americans, Brits and anyone unfortunate enough to hail from Dublin. Boyle uses his Irish background as a crutch for his racism and insensitivity. But he leaves no doubt about his expertise as a cop. Heck he even recognizes the importance of some 9 year old kid riding around on a pink bicycle. That's just another example of the off-center approach to story telling offered by McDonagh.

If you are a fan of In Bruges, Snatch, or Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, I think you will enjoy this one. It falls just short of that level, but not by much. Gleeson is outstanding and the story is simple enough, yet with plenty of twist, turns and hilarity.

Character-driven, raucously thrilling crime comedy

[Davor_Blazevic_1959 · 9/10 · 14 October 2011]

Screenplay writer John Michael McDonagh's directorial debut, "The Guard" (2011) is really a fine movie, relying the least on the originality of its story, describing criminal proceedings of the group of cocaine drug-smugglers and their interaction with local police, set against the backdrop of small-town western Ireland, however, filled with crackling good dialogue, sparkling with wisecracks, accompanied with nice scenery and pleasant, unobtrusive music. But, what makes it the best is its protagonists' performances.

Brendan Gleeson is usually natural, making the character he plays fit like a glove—whether the robust and humorous loyal buddy and the warrior, as in "Braveheart" (1995), or a quiet and subdued aspiring politician, as in "Gangs of New York" (2002), or a non-supportive father, civil war volunteer-turned-deserter, as in "Cold Mountain" (2003), whether the gentle, mentoring, culture-exploring hit man in hiding, as in "In Bruges" (2008), or on the other side of the law, the grouchy police sergeant with defiant, often dissident sense of humour (provocative in one-liners like "being FBI, don't you prefer to fight unarmed women and children…"), as in this movie--and Don Cheadle, in the role of FBI agent Wendell Everett, a bit in the shade of Gleeson's Gerry Boyle, but nevertheless, sufficiently competitive ("Langley is CIA, I'm FBI…"), neat and convincing in his performance as always. (I admit to have a soft spot for this actor since his impressive role of the manager of Kigali Mille Collines hotel in the movie "Hotel Rwanda" (2004), the very same hotel I have been frequenting for two months in 1995, just a year later to tragic events described in the movie.)

To a pretty frequent movie goer like myself, who hasn't seen a single en par (or better?) leading actor in this year that is rapidly advancing towards its end, it is hard to believe that very many better acting performances could be demonstrated in the remaining two months or so. Therefore, if Brendan Gleeson does not find himself at least among top nominees for any yearly awarded film prize, I'll have a problem finding such decisions just.

As a marginal note, I was lucky to watch this movie back home in my motherland, because having it subtitled was very helpful in order not to miss any of sergeant Boyle's wisecracks, delivered often in heavy Irish accent, and to understand at all occasional lines, uttered by marginal characters, spoken completely in Gaelic. Of course, point was not to be understood by English native speakers, but it was still interesting to know what usual "advices" (if not insults) were given to English speakers, though eventually not English (as FBI agent!) at all. As Irish colleague of mine once said… "We don't sing songs in Gaelic so English people cannot understand how badly we talk about them, they know it already! We sing in Gaelic simply because that's our traditional language (N.B. official whatsoever), and songs sound much better and sweeter in it."

Understated and funny, a showpiece for Gleeson

[bdgill12 · 21 August 2011]

Despite the fact that I live in a bustling metropolis, all of the theaters that show smaller films are somewhere between 30 and 50 miles away. In "Dallas Traffic Time", that translates to somewhere between 90 minutes and 16 days. As a result, I don't get time to see many of these films until they come to DVD, if at all. In my experience, art house films are often the most difficult to write about and even more difficult to properly judge, particularly in the summer. When almost everything I've watched in the last three months has involved superheroes, aliens, or jokes related to bodily functions, I have a tough time transitioning to more mature and cinematic endeavors. So it is with "The Guard, a film entirely unlike anything else I saw this summer.

Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is an off-the-wall, somewhat crotchety veteran police officer who patrols a small Irish town. Shortly after beginning an investigation into a peculiar murder, Boyle discovers that his case is related to a major drug ring that is currently being hunted by FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle). As straight-laced as they come, Everett is an odd pair for Boyle but the two are forced to work together to take down the cartel. When the case pulls Boyle in deeper than he would have ever imagined he is forced to reexamine his life's work and turn himself into an unlikely hero.

If that synopsis makes "The Guard" sound wholly serious, bear in mind that it is completely and totally a comedy. A dark comedy to be sure but a comedy nonetheless. If you've ever wondered what "Hot Fuzz" would be like if it was subtle and less over-the-top, "The Guard" fits the bill. This is writer/director John Michael McDonagh's first full length film but I would never have guessed it if not for the magic of IMDb. It is a witty, well-written film that makes its tone clear from the first scene. The pacing isn't exactly what I would call slow but instead calculatedly casual; it knows where it intends to go and it makes its way with balanced determination. This is a film that knows its own identity and doesn't stray from the dark comedy path more than a time or two. Its humor is smart and lively. Even with the thick accents (which probably caused me to miss a joke or two) "The Guard" is filled with exquisite dialogue and understated jokes that brought more laughs than anything from all but the very best big budget comedies this year has brought.

The plot of "The Guard" is simple but refined and that pushes all of the attention onto the characters and the actors who portray them. Cheadle is a solid straight man and as he always does, he makes the absolute most of every scene he is given. As one of the ringleaders of the drug ring, Mark Strong's character is straight out of a Guy Ritchie film, a role Strong is great at playing. Please Mr. Strong: stick to these films and stay away from popcorn crap like "Green Lantern." But despite all of the excellent actors around him, "The Guard" is all about Gleeson. His work in 2008's "In Bruges" (coincidentally directed by McDonagh's brother Martin) finally brought him the attention he deserves, but Gleeson has always been a favorite of mine, a magnificent actor who never fails to impress no matter how little screen time he is given. Boyle is a without a doubt a curmudgeon (and a slightly racist one at that) but Gleeson makes him exceedingly likable. He is a wild card, the type of guy who does the right thing when you're absolutely sure he's going to continue to disgrace himself and Gleeson pulls this off perfectly. Moreover, he once again exhibits the brilliant comedic timing that has made him one of the best and most versatile actors that Ireland has to offer. I'm not saying it's his best performance but rather another in a long string of quality portrayals that illustrate just how undervalued this guy really is.

Fun, intelligent, and genuinely hilarious, "The Guard" is an excellent departure from my typical fare this time of year. I've made no bones about the fact that I really like summer blockbusters. I love them, in fact. But when a movie like "The Guard" comes along in the midst of the "Conan the Barbarians" of the world, it serves as an incredibly refreshing reminder of what we have to hope for in the coming months.

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Funny, entertaining, but flawed.

[Fatboydim · 7/10 · 8 July 2011]

I saw this movie in Galway at the film Fleadh. Dit it entertain me? Absolutely. Would I buy it on DVD / Blu Ray ? Another yes. Funnier than The Hangover [1st film] In my opinion yes. However just like that film you have to decide very early on to suspend your disbelief and just go along for the ride.

I feel a little for John Michael McDonagh as he will no doubt always walk in the shadow of his brother. Which is a burden most writer / directors do not have to deal with. Already an early reviewer has compared it to In Bruges. I think I gave In Bruges a ten star rating. This has an eight. In Bruges - as extraordinary as it was - had a whiff of truth about it and the danger in the movie was real. Here the action is so cartoon that it generates no tension at all, and you never really fear for the characters. Of course Gleeson is in both movies and in my opinion give a much better performance in In Bruges. . Here he is just having fun. Who can blame him... The characters in The Guard are drawn with very broad brush strokes, and lack any kind of subtlety. The sub-plot involving Fionnula Flanagan feels bolted on and slows the movie down. It's intended to show the main character has a softer side, but you can get that through the thrust of the main story, and the elements are there to take advantage of this. Simple things that could have been done to add a little more realism and heart to the movie that would have generated greater emotion, depth of feeling, tension, jeopardy and ultimately bigger laughs.

At the Q & A afterward it was suggested the script was written in 13 days. Clearly that was just a first draft - but I do think subsequent drafts were not worked hard enough. As sometimes there isn't enough breathing space between the jokes... so the bigger gags / situations don't build in the way they should. Or a moment of compassion is lost because a laugh comes rolling on top of it due to a cheap gag.In that respect it feels to me as if the writer / director is still learning pace and rhythm. It's very common in comedy where a writer doesn't want to lose what he feels is a good gag - but sometimes you have to cut gag A in order to get a bigger laugh on gag B. A stronger script editor on the film could have made all the difference.

So all in all it is a bravo. I very much enjoyed the movie. I do expect John Michael McDonagh to go on to bigger and better things and I wish the movie great success. After all 8/10 is a great score.

One of the best movies of the last decade

[dongwangfu · 10/10 · 16 October 2017]

I've seen this film three times, and it simply is incredibly complete. Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle are great in both the comedic and dramatic scenes, and especially good playing off each other. It works as a buddy cop movie and as a wry commentary on the genre, all the way until the photographer's wry meta-commentary signals the merging of the two at the end. Consistently unexpected and original, it captures the Irish penchant for deadpan humor very effectively -- and while there are some significant differences in approach, I left the theater with a respect for the director's craft that I only reliably experience with the Coen brothers.

an unconventional team, for sure

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 12 April 2015]

Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle star in "The Guard," a 2011 Irish film written and directed by John Michael McDonagh.

Gleeson plays Sgt. Gerry Boyle, an Irish policeman. He's outspoken, doesn't mind stepping on toes, likes prostitutes, and has a mother who is dying.

An FBI agent (Cheadle) from Atlanta arrives to find and arrest members of a cocaine smuggling ring. He and Boyle have to work together, and it's an uneasy alliance.

This is a quirky film with both humor and drama that mix well. Underneath all the insults, the two men like and respect one another even while they're driving each other crazy.

All of the acting is excellent, with Cheadle handing in another fine performance as the strict, by the book agent. Fionnula Flanagan plays Boyle's mother, whose son keeps her laughing throughout her illness. The drug ring members are appropriately slimy -- Mark Strong reminded me of Stanley Tucci. Gleeson is perfection as an outrageous cop, raising his hand during Cheadle's speech about the case to the police and saying, "I thought only blacks were drug dealers." The ending is ambiguous, but it works, as does the whole film. I like McDonagh's approach and will be seeking out his other work. His brother Martin was responsible for the film "In Bruges," also with Brendan Gleeson.

One of the finest surprises this year has brought to me

[maxima-milli · 8/10 · 14 October 2011]

"The Guard" is definitely a movie to recommend. Its beautiful simplicity, provoking colors and incredibly witty lines simply make this a small masterpiece. I haven't expected a thing, but it does seem that this directorial surname becomes something to be kept close within the radar.

It has somewhat of that Warhal-like touch to it within the play of multiple strong colors and nuances, where it is visually provoking and satisfying, easy to relate and almost as easy to touch. Along with remarkable scenery and those absolutely sets details, the roles are accordingly brilliant.

Brendan is more than expectedly good and from my point of view, this might just be his best role so far (though all are excellent). The easiness and the flow make the movie a cake one swallows easily. Though grim at all times, it puts a big smile on a face from the first moment.

Unpretentious and fresh, it has a tiny nuance of early '90 movies such as "Pulp Fiction", but unlike others, the directing made it look absolutely different. It is unpredictable at all times, yet one keeps waiting for Gleeson's next line. Probably one of my favorites for some time. Will watch again, definitely.

As for the language, I have to agree with the issue - English is not my native language but it was so awful trying to watch it with those unnatural subs in English. It took half of the fun and I simply turned it off and enjoyed it, understanding it easily. Being so lost in translation, it certainly will not be as great as it really is - even one line lost is too much for such a screenplay.

I'm not an Irish, right. Yet I could identify easily with the characters and feel the ease. As for this year's movies I've seen so far, this was the biggest surprise and biggest satisfaction.

With simple soundtrack which turns out fully unexpected towards the very end - much of a "Mexican standout", "The Guard" is truly a rewarding movie and a hope that there are still ways to make fresh ones to enjoy without having to compare or predict.

Strange and uneven--but worth seeing.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 13 January 2012]

"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.

Expect to laugh and cringe at a glimpse of Irishness

[gisawear · 9/10 · 29 July 2011]

The guard is like lethal weapon if it was set in the west of Ireland. Unorthodox police work-yes, disregard for superiors -check, only thing is Sgt. Gerry Boyle has slightly less enthusiasm for action than Officer Riggs.

At times during this movie I had to turn away so no one would see me smiling at the few racist comments, slurs and generalizations. But I wasn't surprised to see behind me, no else in the cinema was holding back the laughter. It seems that it takes a lot for Irish people to find something offensive.

The rest of the characters were enjoyable to watch. They are a close representation of who you should expect to meet if you spend enough time in Ireland and will get you into some memorable 'situations'.

OK so this review is more about Ireland than the movie but I think to enjoy this movie you need to embrace both the story and culture of the country.

Funny, touching, character piece

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 27 July 2012]

This is a movie that would've gone unnoticed, were it not for one of the many "Top 10 Under-appreciated Movies" posts you see on so many blogs. And I'm glad I read that, because "The Guard" turned out to be hidden gem.

Brendan Gleeson stars as an Irish cop who finds himself investigating an international drug-smuggling ring that also has the attention of the FBI. Don Cheadle is the college-boy Fed who's loaned out to assist with the investigation, and the two butt heads in your (seemingly) typical fish-out-of-water, disparate-cops-must-get-along story.

Billed as a buddy cop movie, Gleeson's the real star (with Cheadle taking a backseat - though both get to exercise their comedic chops). The story focuses mainly on his unconventional (and perhaps racist) small-time cop as he puzzles through the investigation. The movie has a distinct sarcastic wit (reminded me of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels") and a script that crackles with biting dialogue. I don't think I've ever seen Cheadle in such a straight-laced role, but he has a knack for straight-man comedy. Not a lazy performance.

"The Guard" is engaging, absolutely hilarious, and even poignant with that heartfelt ending.

7.5/10

Not really like In Bruges at all

[clivey6 · 3/10 · 15 September 2011]

In Bruges is the film this has been associated with, it stars Brendan Gleason and is directed by the brother of the guy who did In Bruges. Oh, and I also had to strain to hear the dialogue a bit when I saw it, the only difference being that I didn't feel it was worth the effort in this case.

It's broadly drawn, and just not funny enough. No real wit, most of the humour comes from the Irish cop's inappropriate racist or unPC remarks, which of course could be funny given the right context, but here... We see Gleason's cop finger a dead man's crotch while his nerdy green companion looks on with distaste. Well, is that funny? I know, I sound like Margot Ledbetter in The Good Life, wrinkling her nose. "Tell me why it's funny, please!" Later our man implies to the new black FBI man in town that surely all drug dealers are black. Could be funny, I suppose, but not here. And when one dim bulb asks the FBI man whether to 'liquidate' someone meant kill them by turning them into liquid, well, it's like the film is implying all the Irish are basically thick, though again, were the joke to be stellar I could forgive all.

There's a bit of heart when he visits his ailing mother in a hospice, but it's not that original to have her wonder what it's like to take cocaine, ooh who'd have thought it! It's as if we're not meant to know whether our man is clever or dumb, but I found Gleason just not charismatic enough for this role - Robbie Coltrane would have been fine, were he Irish not Scottish.

Mark Strong was the only actor who really acquitted himself here I felt.

Film defence

[roboclerk-130-629555 · 10 August 2011]

I must take issue with the bobbowhite review.

As a citizen of Ireland I can safely say that this film is easy to understand and accents should not be adjusted just so that USA folk can follow.

If an English MP can find the film enjoyable and recommend it to her 35,000+ twitter followers, then no-one should complain.

The scenery is superb.

The characters just right for the West of Ireland as I remember it.

The whole scope of the current Irish populace is contained in the film and age old attitudes subtly dealt with.

Witty, dark and memorable

[Film_Fan_Raja · 7/10 · 17 October 2021]

Brendan Gleeson / Don Cheadle and Mark Strong are solid enough reasons to watch, so watched it without reading about it - and boy was I surprised! This is not an action movie but an intelligent Irish black comedy.

The premises is set in the beautiful Connemara, Galway, Western Ireland. The cultural depictions as a laid back Irish town where everyone sort of knows everyone did not look forced. Movie had more tongue in cheek lines than I have recently seen and laughed out loud many times. The screenplay was clever and laced with Gleeson's' acidic humor.

Brendan Gleeson lived the role of an indifferent wise cracking, abusive practical joker, borderline-racist and an intelligent cynical guard who loves his dying mom (how he lands scripts like this is a mystery - loved him in "In Bruges"). The script was filled with brevity laden humor - especially the laughs between mom / son contrasting with a heavy glooming backdrop of her medical condition - hats off to screenplay (BAFTA award winner).

The scenes where Don Cheadle tries to talk to locals but doesn't understand Connacht Irish and Liam Cunningham (best remembered as Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones) playing the antagonist with Mark Strong are rib-cracking. References to popular culture such as 81/2, Rhode Scholarship, IRA guns and references to Columbians being better drug mafia just add spice to the script. There is a scene in the movie where Don Cheadle can't believe the politically incorrect things coming out of Gleeson's mouth and coolly he defends himself by saying "I'm Irish, racism is part of my culture". That did it for me!!!

The distinction between the sense of humor and what ticks the English / Americans and Irish were never so contrastingly depicted in any other movie I can remember. Looking at the posters, you maybe mislead to believe this is a candy buddy-cop kind of movie, it is anything but stereotypical. The dry cynical Irish humor really appealed to me. Gleeson gets away with his politically incorrect behavior. This is not a movie which is going to be in any top 100 but it is definitely worth a watch.

YOU LOST ME AT "WE".

[nogodnomasters · 10/10 · 18 September 2018]

Brendan Gleeson stars as a small town Sgt. in Ireland. In many ways he reminded me of Andy of Mayberry in that he has his own local quirky ways of doing things, but beneath it all he is quite intelligent. There are some international drug smugglers in his area and the FBI has sent Don Cheadle to work with the very frank, sometimes crass Gleeson who believes racial stereotypes and has no problems questioning Cheadle to the point of his frustration.

The writing is witty and the quirky characters are reminiscent of a Coen brothers masterpiece.

Cheadle is talking about the recent killing to Gleeson:

CHEADLE: "We need to go door to door and ask people if they saw anything."

GLEESON: "You lost me at 'we'".

CHEADLE: "You and I need...

GLEESON: "It's my day off."

Effective use of sound track. Great script. Funny. Clever.

F-bomb, no nudity, adult situations.

The most successful Irish independent film of all time!

[Hellmant · 7/10 · 16 April 2012]

'THE GUARD': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

The most successful Irish independent film of all time is this black comedy 'Buddy cop' movie! The film stars Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle as it's unlikely odd couple team. It was written and directed by John Michael McDonagh. McDonagh previously wrote the screenplay to the 2003 film 'NED KELLY' and wrote and directed the 2000 short film 'THE SECOND DEATH' but this is his feature film directing debut. It was adored by critics as well as obviously a financial success. I found it to be amusing and definitely worth passing the time with.

In the film Gleeson plays an Irish policeman named Boyle and Cheadle plays an FBI agent named Everett. The two team up when Everett is brought in to liaise with the Gardai (Irish police) about a suspected occult serial killing. Boyle has some important information on the murder which turns out to be the work of an international drug smuggling gang. Mark Strong co-stars as one of the lead drug dealers.

Boyle and Everett of course don't get along at first as Everett is extremely by the book and somewhat uptight and Boyle is completely carefree and somewhat racist. The routine 'Buddy cop' movie formula plays itself out and, as you would expect, the two end up bonding despite their extreme differences. The film is just another 'Buddy cop' movie but there's never been one quite like this. It has it's own unique character, as all good cop movies should, and Gleeson and Cheadle are both likable in the leads. Nothing exceptional but if you like the formula you'll probably like this movie.

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The funniest thing out of Ireland since Father Ted!

[niallorourke321 · 10/10 · 24 April 2013]

Brendan Gleeson at his very best. This was at least 10 times better than I expected it to be. It really was superb. Brendan Gleeson, probably best known for his non-starring roles, really steps up to the gauntlet. An original title, The Guard is extremely funny, but in a smart way. Anybody can make fun of an Irish law enforcement officer, and thats what at first this film seems to be about. But is it? As Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) so aptly puts it- "You're either really....smart, or really.....dumb. I just can't decide which". This movie is McDonagh's directing debut and it really does seem like he has a bright future ahead of him as a director. Another thing I loved about this film is the fact that Gleeson stays true to the role. He doesn't at all dilute Sgt.Boyle's thick Galway accent, even though this may be a source of annoyance to non-Irish viewers. He is utterly convincing as Boyle. As is the portrayal of the Galway natives - not a small bit stereotypical. From my experience of Galway people, this film is all to accurate! In short, The Guard is certainly the funniest thing to come out of Ireland since Father Ted. A must see, wheter your from Portumna or Portugal, Carraroe or North Carolina. Enjoy!

Did You Hear The One About Irish Crime Being a Joke ?

[pkdyer1965 · 7/10 · 26 December 2019]

A very delightful crime caper that takes the P out of its self. There's a lot of good acting talent on show for a film that went under the radar, I didn't know it existed until it recently came on the internet. Brendan Gleeson steals the show as a small town sargent who pleases himself with the luxuries of life and couldn't careless attitude for the job. Drug smugglers decend on his town buying everybody off, it's up to him and FBI agent Don Cheadle to save the day. Liam Cunningham and Mark Strong play good supporting roles as drug dealers. You don't need big bucks to make a good crime comedy this proves it. Enjoy

Protecting comedy

[kosmasp · 10/10 · 8 September 2011]

I really don't like those phrases but this movie deserves the "instant classic" tag in my book. B. Gleeson is just amazing and seeing Don Cheadle having a role where he is actually acting is a treat in itself too. He has shown so much potential (Hotel Rwanda to name but one movie), but has done quite a few awful movies too, that I always relish him in the ones that actually are good.

But it's the Gleeson show here and the guy shows he can carry a movie alone. He is funny, witty and his character is quite hard to define. Actually a sort of Dujardin "OSS 117", but more realistically and more cynically I guess. Or if you want to go old school, Pink Panther it is. There is not enough good words I can say about this, so I suggest you go ahead and watch it yourself :o)

An Irish Comedy

[freemantle_uk · 7/10 · 9 September 2012]

Back in 2008 Martin McDonagh made very funny dark comedy In Bruges. Not to be out done, his brother John Michael McDonagh made his own dark comedy, The Guard.

Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is a Gardai Sergeant for a rural community in Galway in West Ireland. He is a very unconventional police officer, willing to try drugs, sleeps with prostitutes, shows a great amount of knowledge and his mother is dying. But not interested in the grander schemes of life. In Galway are a group of gangsters (Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong and David Wilmot) who plan to import $500 Million of cocaine into the British Isles and the straight lace FBI Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) is leading the investigate. Soon Boyle ends up working with Wendell when investigating the death of a drug dealer and the disappearance of Boyle's partner, Aidan McBride (Rory Keenan).

The Guard is a dialogue driven comedy and it was reliance on top performance from Gleeson and Cheadle and both of them deliver. The Guard is a buddy comedy with a little bit of Hot Fuzz thrown in. The Guard's final shootout was very similar to the final shootout in Hot Fuzz, if played a little more realistic in its style of action.

The score by the band Calexico was awesome, giving The Guard a Western score that easily honours anything from The Man With No Name Trilogy. It was epic, upbeat and dramatic when it needs to be. It is inkeeping to a Western theme of a peaceful, wilderness turn into a lawless area as violence crimes start to happen. There is also a play on a typical American attitude of some town and rural people having a distrust people from big cities, where people from Galway have a dislike and distrust of people from the big 'bad' city of Dublin.

At times some of the jokes do not work and it does take a little time for the film to get going. The scene where Boyle sells some guns to a IRA Cowboy (Pat Shortt) felt very out of place. For me it is a film that offers smiles and chuckles more then lots of full out laughs, but plenty of people do enjoy this film considering the critical reaction it received. But personally I think the film is a little overrated.

A very funny Irish crime comedy

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 30 December 2013]

Garda Sergeant Gerry Boyle works in Connemara in the remote West of Ireland; he is an unconventional cop… he takes drugs, enjoys the company of prostitutes and doesn't work on his day off even if somebody might be moving half a billion dollars' worth of cocaine through his patch. When somebody is found murdered the scene suggests an occult motive but when Boyle attends a briefing given by FBI Special Agent Wendell Everett he recognises the man as one of four who are meant to be smuggling a large quantity of cocaine into the country.

Having recognised the dead man Boyle ends up partnered with Everett. At first Boyle has no interest in the case but when a young Garda officer, recently transferred from Dublin, goes missing he starts to take an interest. As the case progresses it becomes clear that despite all his faults he may be the only honest cop in the area; it will be up to him and Everett to stop the drug smugglers and get justice for the murdered guard.

If you are looking for a conventional crime drama or are easily offended by non-PC humour then this film certainly isn't for you; however if you like your humour dark you should love this. Brendon Gleeson is great as Sgt. Boyle; he manages to make his character likable despite all his flaws, likewise Don Cheadle is solid as straight guy Wendell. The rest of the cast, including well-known actors Mark Strong and Liam Cunningham, do fine jobs too. While this is mainly a film you watch for the laughs there is a decent story there too as well as an exciting and explosive conclusion. Surprisingly for a comedy it manages to avoid some overused clichés; most notably Agent Everett doesn't act as though the whole world is part of the FBI's jurisdiction; in fact he has to be persuaded to use a firearm which is given to him by Boyle. There are also some poignant moments too including the murder of the young Garda and Boyle's dealings with his dying mother. Overall I'd recommend this to anybody who likes a good laugh but isn't easily offended.

Crass Laugh Out Loud Adult Comedy

[ThreeGuysOneMovie · 7/10 · 22 February 2012]

After seeing that The Guard was going to be released on DVD a few weeks back and the rave reviews by critics and audiences alike, I had to see it and let me tell you I am glad that I did. The Guard is a comedy in the likes of Snatch, and an impressive directorial debut from writer and director John Michael McDonagh. The movie follows the inappropriate goings on of Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson)as he goes about his daily routines as a police officer (Guard) in a small town in Ireland. Gerry certainly walks to his own beat and is not afraid to take advantage of the perks of being a police officer.

All is well until Gerry attends a briefing led by FBI Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) who is investigating a group of drug smugglers said to be in the area. During the briefing Gerry's honesty and crossness come to the forefront and an unlikely relationship between Wendell and Gerry begins. The Guard then becomes a movie about two men from different worlds coming together to catch the bad guy.

The Guard is a laugh out loud, crass, racist, and enjoyable comedy that keeps you on your toes throughout. Although it is certainly a comedy first it does not lack in story like so many of the comedies that are released on a monthly basis, this film is different. Gleeson and Cheadle are the perfect odd couple and the chemistry and timing is great. The humor, although crass, is not infantile and this film is truly an adult comedy with well thought out dialogue and great acting throughout. The Guard is the best adult comedy I have seen this year and recommend it to anyone who likes to laugh. My only issue, which is strictly on me, is that the Irish accents are so thick at times I feel as though I missed out on some of the incredible dialogue.

big disappointment :-S

[laffefun · 2/10 · 31 October 2011]

This movie was a disappointment for me....I decided watch it because it got great ratings. i expected a comedy but not one single time during the movie did I laugh...the jokes are extremely lame... example:

Irish policeman asks the American FBI agent: why is it called liquidated what does that mean anyway?

FBI agent: that they are killed...what else could it mean ?

Irish man: does it mean that they have been turned into liquid ?

FBI agent:No, just killed.

Irish man:I suppose turning someone into liquid would be too time-consuming.

summary: well this pretty much sums everything up...if you think that its funny then you'd probably enjoy this movie.