The Guard

Absurdity and eccentricity abound in The Guard, the directorial debut from Ned Kelly screenwriter John Michael McDonagh, which sees maverick lawman Sgt. Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) defending his rural County Galway beat from a band of international drug traffickers. There’s a hint of In Bruges in this quirky tale, given that the films share a pitch black sense of humour, a star (Gleeson) and DNA (it was written and directed by McDonagh’s brother Martin), but here it’s Gleeson playing the foul-mouth funny man against Don Cheadle’s straight-laced visiting FBI agent.

The film’s pace is somewhat relentless, featuring a laugh in almost every scene, but thankfully McDonagh seems to share his brother’s ability to balance pathos and comedy, easily shifting between scenes of Boyle exploring his partiality for prostitutes and caring for his dying Mother. A little rough around the edges, The Guard is intelligent and knowingly funny, and despite continually breaking the fourth wall, it’s very easy to find yourself embroiled in this strange affair. [David McGinty]