Cheadle, Gleeson character relationship provides basis for new comedy thriller
“The Guard” can essentially be broken down to an exercise in dialogue. Outside the sharp wit of the script, there is not much more to the movie.
Luckily, the laughs are frequent and the dialogue is so well written that certain flaws, such as the film’s pacing, are quickly overshadowed.
Directed and written by John Michael McDonagh (“Ned Kelly” (2003)), “The Guard” is full of the darkest brand of Irish humor that kicks harder than a shot of Jameson.
Sgt. Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is cop in a damp, rural Irish village (rural being a slight understatement — sheep most likely outnumber people), who breaks the law more severely than the people he arrests.
When called in to investigate a killing of a John Doe, Boyle initially writes the killing off as an act of religious fanaticism and doesn’t think much of it. However, after being forced to attend a briefing about $500 million worth of cocaine being smuggled through his village, Boyle starts to make the connection.
Pairing up with FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle), he and Everett begin to search for the smugglers and unearth the nastier side of the quaint village, all while creating one of the oddest pairings in buddy-cop history.
“The Guard” immediately sparks comparisons to “In Bruges” (2008), directed by McDonagh’s brother Martin. Seeing as they were written and directed by brothers, it is clear that the two have almost the same sense of humor, both relying on irreverent quips for the basis of their laughs.
However, where they differ is that “The Guard” actually visits the generic buddy-cop premise with the white cop/black cop dynamic that has given the world “Lethal Weapon” (1987) and “Beverly Hills Cop” (1984), and expands on it in an almost satirical fashion.
Gleeson and Cheadle play off each other well, but McDonagh ups the stakes with some racial humor that may make viewers feel a bit uncomfortable. In fact, many of the jokes have a certain guilt associated with them because of either their subject matter or lack of discretion.
“The Guard” is a very minimalist picture, lacking any frills or forced excitement. Instead, it takes its time reveling in character interaction instead of plot happenings.
At times, this can be extremely entertaining, with the jokes typically earning huge laughs, but it also makes the film feel incomplete.
It is witty, bordering on the extreme and oversaturated, with jokes having the priority over plot development and character creation. With so much of the movie being dialogue, “The Guard” could easily be adapted into a play.
“The Guard” plays off the intrigue of Cheadle and Gleeson’s relationship using that as a crux for the film.
Luckily, Gleeson plays his character well enough to avoid being offensive and generates enough charm that it carries the film.
“The Guard” is bitingly funny and is destined to become a cult hit. Viewers who enjoy a smart script and have an open mind will be drawn to “The Guard,” but as far as a mainstream audience, the film might play too slow and have too subtle of humor.
But it does not hold back any of the morbidity or profanity, making it that much more enjoyable.