The Guard

The 2011 International Film Festival seems to be the year of thrillers. The Guard is the Irish contribution to the genre this year. The twist is that it is also a comedy. Don Cheadle plays straight man and by-the-book FBI agent to Brendan Gleeson's irreverent, unorthodox Irish village cop. They end up working on the same international drug smuggling case after a dead gangster shows up in Irish Garda's village.

Brendan Gleeson delivers his lines so perfectly that, like the hapless FBI agent, the audience is left in doubt whether to take some of Sergeant Boyle's statements as his sincere opinion or not. Don Cheadle is very much second fiddle as this is Gleeson's film.

Nothing is taken seriously in this film (except by Don Cheadle's character). Not only easy targets like the Americans and British, but also the Irish themselves, the IRA and the Police are fair game. It comes with gangster philosophy that takes over where In Bruges left off. If you liked that film then you'll like this one too.

Ian's rating 4/5 Anne's rating 3.5/5