The Guard

The Guard (2011)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1540133/

An unlikely duo of an Irish cop and an American FBI agent pair up to take down a drug smuggling ring that has landed in a small Irish town in The Guard, by John Michael McDonagh (brother of In Bruges, director Martin, also starring Brendan Gleeson).  While investigating a murder, standoffish Guard Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Gleeson) stumbles right into the middle of an international investigation, when straight-laced Agent Everett (Don Cheadle) shows up to coordinate the effort to apprehend the cadre of criminals.  The two will have to work together, despite polar character differences and a significant language barrier, to bring this ring down.





A bit of Guy Ritchie, a bit of Edgar Wright, The Guard is a dark comedy that takes a serious tone, shrugging off a good bit of violence.  While the plot moves along at somewhat of a slow walk, the dialogue gallops, with fast-paced exchanges propelling every scene.  At times, it can be difficult to understand with Gleeson's thick Irish accent, but most of the jokes I did catch were clever and well delivered, with quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. There's little slapstick involved; it relies much on the dialogue to deliver laughs, which is a refreshing change of pace from most of the American comedies we get these days.  This is writer/director McDonagh's first feature film, and it's a promising start, much in the vein of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I just hope he maintains a little better than Ritchie has.

Cheadle is his usual gritty yet charming self as the straight man, and he unexpectedly plays very well off Gleeson.  They share good chemistry and timing, and every time Sgt. Boyle cracks off a racist quip, Cheadle's reactions are priceless. The rest of the Irish ensemble perform admirably (each with disparaging comments to make about Dublin, which I guess is an inside Irish gag), and Mark Strong always plays a good villain (but let's branch out a little bit, eh Mark?), but this movie is all about Gleeson.  He shines in this picture and if he doesn't get at least a Golden Globe nom, I'd say he got snubbed!  His delivery is on point, if maybe a little muddled through that accent, and I was surprised at his sense of comic timing, coming from so many dramatic roles. I can't be sure, but this might actually be his first comedic lead, not counting Mission: Impossible 2.  I say bravo, sir!

I liked The Guard.  It did move a bit slow, and parts of dialogue left me saying, "huh?"  But I thought it was well written and well delivered.  If you're looking for a darker comedy, and one different from all the SNL casted toilet comedies we've been getting lately, give The Guard a watch.

Score: 7.5
Recommended: If The Hangover 3 isn't going to do it for you (which it shouldn't).