Dark Irish Comedy

Gleeson enjoys an actor's life

A typical Hollywood formula is to combine a white guy and a black guy with completely different personalities, add a murder mystery that needs to be solved or drug smuggling ring that needs to be busted up, have the pair bond over some explosions, sprinkle with witty quips and sit back as the masses storm the multiplex. Now writer/director John Michael McDonagh has taken that brew, given it an Irish twist, and created one of the best comedies of the year.

Featuring great turns by its stars, terrific chemistry between its leads and an unorthodox approach to a familiar set-up, "The Guard" is a hilarious politically incorrect comedy with heart.  The story centers on Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson), a police officer who serves in the West of Ireland. Upon learning that a team of three international drug smugglers (Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot) are in town, Boyle is forced to team up with an FBI agent named Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) in order to bring them to justice. Though initially Boyle is more concerned with "whoring and drinking" he and Everett are unified against a wave of corruption, bribery and blackmail. 

The greatest reason for the film’s success is the pairing and dynamic between Gleeson and Cheadle. Because their characters are so deftly written and layered, all aspects of Boyle and Everett’s personalities bounce off each other perfectly without ever feeling like a tired retread. From Boyle’s casual racism to Everett’s wealthy upbringing; Boyle’s lack of worldliness to Everett’s fish-out-of-water situation, everything about the two is crafted with purpose and wit.  Gleeson is required not only to be a bit of a schlub who, but, thanks to scenes with his dying mother, also a good and responsible man. The range shown in each actor’s performance is absolutely brilliant. The film’s real scene stealer, though, is Mark Strong as a criminal who has become bored by what he does. Strong has been typecast as the stereotypical villain in some major productions and here he shows that he can play deep and complex characters when given the right material.

Some audiences won’t take kindly to McDonagh’s brazen and unabashed approach to comedy, but those that are appreciate irreverent humor and like feeling a little bad when they laugh are going to absolutely love "The Guard."