1. Halfwelshman

   9

   The Guard is a truly fine black comedy. It has a fantastic central comic performance from Brendan Gleeson, who plays Sergeant Boyle, a strange amalgamation of the classic good cop/bad cop partnership we're used to seeing in movies, with a twisted sense of humour and questionable morals, but with a heart that is ultimately made of gold, and manages to contain it all within his own imposing Irish frame. Don Cheadle also impresses as Agent Everett, an FBI consultant assisting in the search for a gang of ruthless smugglers (a sinister Liam Cunningham, a terrifying David Wilmot and Mark Strong doing what he does best), and makes a great straight man to Gleeson's less-than-serious Garda. There's numerous side-splitting moments of comedy in the blackest shade to be found in the film's beautifully penned script, by director John Michael McDonagh. Like his brother Martin, McDonagh seems to possess an uncanny ability to see the funny side of the bleakest of situations, and with the addition of a liberal sprinkling of Irish cultural eccentricities, The Guard becomes a real comic masterclass. Western iconography is also transferred surprisingly well from the American Old West to the film's rural Irish setting, with a particularly fine finale where Boyle and Everett go into battle against the bad guys, all guns blazing, a scene that could have been taken from any classic of the genre were it not for the presence of sea salt and copious Celtic-accented swearing. The Guard is a joy to watch - a sensational genre mash-up of cop films, buddy movies and Westerns with a cracking script, memorable performances and a healthy Irish pragmatic view on the world.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 3 users said Yes.
2. TheNewSpielberg

   8

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As an Irishman, I found this film to be very funny and hugely entertaining. I think the main reason this film didn't really work outside of Ireland is that most of the jokes concern Irish politics, culture and general life in Ireland, meaning a few foreign audiences found comedic moments plain confusing rather than hilarious. I also loved Brendan Gleeson's performance as the title character. He perfectly captures the personality and accent of a typical West Irish man and I feel he was a perfect choice for the role. I also thought that Don Cheadle was great too. The only thing I didn't like was that I thought that the Aidan McBride character was given too short of a role in the story and I would have liked to have seen him more, mostly because the chemistry between Sgt. Boyle and him was so great and for me it was a shame McBride was killed off so early in the film. But apart from that, I would easily say this is one of my 10 favorite films of all time.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. StPaul1

   5

   Considering the generally glowing reviews, the movie was a disappointment. The title character, played by Brendon Gleeson, seems contrived. He is sort of a mass of contradictions thrown together in desperate hopes that a quirky protagonist will emerge. He is secretly brilliant and highly competent, but casually drops acid found at a crime scene, consorts with hookers, ignores basic rules of police procedure, and "hilariously" slings racial stereotypes at a stiff Don Cheadle (isn't he aware the rat pack was doing this 40+ years ago, and it wasn't all that funny back then?) . Speaking of Cheadle, after emerging as one of the most interesting young film actors of the '90s, this film is something of a low point for him. He's supposed to be the stuffed shirt to Gleeson's loose cannon, but he just doesn't connect. This is just another inter-racial buddy cop movie, this time with a sometimes unintelligle Irish accent.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 2 users said Yes.
4. JamesL

   2

   I had expectations for this film but it is a flop. There is nothing funny or entertaining here. The film seemed like a bunch of outtakes picked off the cutting floor and stitched together. The humor was painful particularly the racial shots. How this got a high rating amazes me. I knew "Tree of Life" would bore me but this was even worse. Cheadle and Gleeson should hide their heads in shame. Eveything sucked in this film. THE SCRIPT, THE PLOT, THE JOKES,THE ACTING,! DREADFUL!… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 5 users said Yes.

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