The Guard: Grade A

A

The Guard (2011)

Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle. Director John Michael McDonagh (With Irish English and some Gaelic: subtitles recommended)

Gleeson is a perfect small town Irish cop, somewhere near Galway. Cheadle is FBI, assigned to that town because a huge international drug smuggling deal is supposed to go down there. The stage is set for clash of culture, ethnicity, personality, and authority, but all with a humorous note. The Irish humor especially, is very subtle and dry. Cheadle mainly plays straight man, but he does have a few funny lines. Even the drug smugglers have some great lines. But this is more than a comedy. There is a serious crime story that generates plenty of dramatic tension in its own right. Directing and cinematography are good, as is the location scenery. The acting by the two principals is outstanding and the script is sharp. It’s a winner.