I was immensely delayed in watching ‘In Bruges’ (watched it in July this year) and while I didn’t really like the movie all that much, the cultured, warm hearted Ken stayed with me after the movie was done playing. Hence, my interest was piqued when I heard about the Irish film, ‘The Guard’.
This is the sort of movie that must rely on a sharp screenplay and its performances to hold it up as the storyline is probably more suitable for a 30-45 minute TV show. And neither aspect lets us down here.
Sergeant Gerry Boyle, who is disliked by his colleagues for his loud, ‘in-your-face’ attitude, foul mouth and unorthodox approach to his job, notices a spurt in crimes in his district and realizes that an international drug smuggling gang is active right beneath his very nose. He must work with FBI Agent Wendell Everett to catch them red handed. We discover that the offensive Boyle is really just a kindhearted, ethical man who will stop at nothing to bring the criminals to book. That doesn’t mean that he has to stop testing the limits of his peers’ patience.
This is a Brendon Gleeson vehicle all through. Where he was amiable and conscientious in ‘In Bruges’, here he is eccentric and confrontational, yet never letting his aggravating front hint at his thoughtful nature.
Don Cheadle supports the proceedings as the befuddled American trying to do his job and get out of the small Irish town. It is a thankless role that merely serves as a foil for Boyle and he plays along sportingly.
The chameleon-ic Mark Strong has always intrigued me with his ability to play hide-and-seek with the viewer. He has a fairly large body of work and yet one never sees the same character twice. He gives you something different each time and spotting him among the cast-members is invariably a good sign regarding the movie. Here he is a vicious, intellectual smuggler who is patiently waiting to finish the job and get back to London.
Liam Cunningham as the wily head of the criminal gang oozes cunning from every pore. He readily buys out people standing in between him and the prize and the look in his eyes promises much pain and suffering to anyone that doesn’t play by his rules.
The dialogue is sharp and the story moves along quickly. The oddball characters make for a fresh variant of the buddy-cop movie and the cast plays off each other competently.
I didn’t find it hilarious; it is a black comedy after all. But I was entertained all through, which is much more than what can be said of my recent viewings of big budget extravaganzas.
Recommended.
