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Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Rory Keenan, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot ... see more see more... , Mark Strong , Fionnula Flanagan , Dominique McElligott , Sarah Greene , Katarina Cas , Wale Ojo , Ronan Collins , Conor Moloney , Laura Hitchings , Declan Mannion , Sharon Kearney , Laurence Kinlan , David Pearse , Michael Og Lane , Eamonn Olwill , Owen Sharpe , Yuyang Shields , Pat Shortt , Mark O'Halloran , Gary Lydon , Gay McKeon , Darren Healy , Mary Corcoran , Colm Gannon , Johnny McDonagh , Dominick Hewitt , Giedrius Nagys , Dermot Healy , Gary Robinson , Paraic Nialand , John Patrick Beirne , Liam O'Conghaile , Christopher Kilmartin

The Guard is a comedic fish-out-of-water tale of murder, blackmail, drug trafficking and rural police corruption. Two policemen must join forces to take on an international drug- smuggling gang - one,... read more read more... an unorthodox Irish policeman and the other, a straitlaced FBI agent. Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleason) is an eccentric small-town cop with a confrontational and crass personality and a subversive sense of humor. A longtime policeman in County Galway, Boyle is a maverick with his own moral code. He has seen enough of the world to know there isn't much to it and has had plenty of time to think about it. When a fellow police officer disappears and Boyle's small town becomes key to a large drug trafficking investigation, he is forced to at least feign interest when dealing with the humorless FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) assigned to the case. -- (C) Sony Pictures

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95% liked it

121 critics

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: John Michael McDonagh

Release Date: July 29, 2011

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DVD Release Date: January 3, 2012

Stats: 1,801 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,801)

  • garyX
    May 28, 2012
    garyX
    An FBI agent teams up with a small town Irish policeman to investigate drug traffickers operating out of rural Ireland in this amusing fish out of water buddy cop comedy from the brother of Martin McDonagh who wrote and directed In Bruges. The approach and humour is very similar ... read moreto his sibling's film, Brendan Gleeson exhibiting the same kind of self deprecating and cynical pragmatism that is common to the Irish mentality. As a thriller, the plot is rather simplistic but it is done with a knowing wit that deconstructs the typical Hollywood action film in a way that's like Guy Ritchie meets Father Ted. Very funny stuff and if you liked In Bruges, you're sure to like this too.
  • MrMarakai
    May 23, 2012
    MrMarakai
    There's something that seems to run through the family of the McDonagh's; Martin made an impressive debut with the lively, comedy crime drama "In Bruges" in 2008. Now his sibling Jonathan does the same with this. Combining genres can so easily go wrong but both the McDonagh's see... read morem to be rather good at it.
    In Galway, the west coast of Ireland a seemingly random murder occurs. Sgt. Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) investigates and soon believes it to be part of a drug-smuggling ring. The case becomes so important that the FBI get involved and send over agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to mount a large scale operation in bringing the drug ring down. The two law enforcers don't exactly see eye-to-eye and have completely different approaches to their professions but manage to find common ground in working together.
    As we are introduced to the character of Sgt. Gerry Boyle, he's just come across a crime scene. He searches through the pockets of a deceased young man and helps himself to a tab of LSD. Within minutes this towering character and his unconventional methods are established. It takes a good actor to pull this off and Gleeson is more than up to the task. It's his solid performance that's at the centre of this off-beat and cynical comedy. Gleeson has become ubiquitous of late, appearing in film's internationally and having already worked with the likes of Steven Spielberg ("A.I. Artificial Intelligence") and Martin Scorsese ("Gangs Of New York"). He has worked with these directors for good reason, as he can seemingly turn his hand to any role. He's not alone here though, fine support is delivered by the always reliable Don Cheadle, who's not afraid to take a step back and allow Gleeson to shine and as the three dangerous, drug-running killers, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot and Mark Strong are given small but memorable roles. It's fun to listen to them discuss philosophy before cold-bloodedly despatching of innocent people. It's the balance of danger and humour that keeps director McDonagh's film fresh and able to play with the usual genre conventions. The laughs are genuine and never forced and the sharp Irish humour that courses through it is hilarious. Toward the end, it threatens to succumb to cliche but still has enough up it's sleeve to leave you contented.
    The mismatched buddy-cop movie has been done many times before but this still manages to find some mileage in it. That's thanks to it's balanced approach and contemptuous brand of humour.
  • katykern8261
    May 22, 2012
    katykern8261
    Directed (and written) by John Michael McDonagh, Reprisal Films 2011. Starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Stong and Fionnula Flanagan.

    Genre: Comedy, Thriller
    Question: Is there a certain nationality that you feel a kinship with? Maybe it is an American thing that I h... read moreave a need to ask that or share with you mine, but I feel a strong connection to my Irish heritage. So when I saw the preview a couple of months ago for the Irish indie film The Guard (and even posted the preview on my blog) I knew I had to see it. It finally came out last week.


    I walked into the same theatre where I was SUPPOSED to see Another Earth earlier this week. I will admit I was a little nervous, and if you read my blog recently, you'll know why I felt that way when I arrived there this morning. Anyway, Another Earth was already gone. Darn! But The Guard was another film I was happy to see still in at the same cineplex. I decided not to press my luck and sit in the same seat as last time so I chose a different row. (What? Ok, I might be a little superstitious - maybe that's an Irish thing.) The movie began and I slowly started to relax.

    Now I am not sure how I can desribe this movie because it's not like many I have seen before. It states above that it is a comedy and a thriller. Sure, I would say that but both genres were there but so subtly written that it is really hard to say that The Guard was a flat-out comedy or an unbelievable thriller. I would say it was more of a black comedy and not "A Raucous Comedy!" as it states on the movie poster behind me. However, the thriller part is something you might not get until the end which is why I really enjoyed this film.

    The story is about a small town in Ireland where there is a confrontational and unorthodox Irish policeman (guard) trying to solve a murder. The FBI comes in to help with the situation and up the ante with the murder with a huge drug deal possibly surrounding the murder. You know, somehow they are...connected!

    Brendan Gleeson plays the main guard and I bet you know who he is just by the list a few of the films he has been in: 28 Days Later, Braveheart, Cold Mountain, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (he is Mad-Eye Moody). Anyway, I have always enjoyed his performances but he is hardly the lead role so this was a nice change. And what a character he played. He's a single man, a cop but likes to ignore the law on a few things, etc.. He even uses the favorite curse word that the Irish seem to enjoy a lot (you know which one, right?....oh for fuck's sake - it should be obvious), but when he talks to his mother or a woman he is sweet, gentle and kind.

    Now here's a hint at the thriller part of The Guard - or at least that is how I saw it....he was sarcastic - my favorite - but most of time you don't know if he is being sarcastic or not. I had a smile on my face throughout this entire movie because of his character and even a few soft chuckles. Brendan Gleeson is the main reason I enjoyed this film.

    Don Cheadle plays the FBI agent sent over to join the investigation and is taken aback with the guard's crass and racist slurs, but he soon realized that he likes him as they work together to solve the crimes. He puts it perfectly when he calls him an unconventional police officer. It was an interesting pairing to see the American federal agent and the small town police officer hunt down the drug smugglers - especially at the end of the film.

    There are a couple of others things to mention about The Guard. The criminals, or the drug smugglers, were an interesting trio that when together would go off on odd topics like philosophy. I wish I could remember some of the dialogue but I do recall giggling during their scenes especially when Mark Strong's character would communicate. He had some of the best dialogue.

    With all that was in The Guard I think the ending might be why I liked it even more. You will just have to see what I am talking about because I am not going to tell you. Slainte!

    My favorite part: The quick Irish wit - that really does put a smile on my face.

    My least favorite part: That I wasn't having a pint of Guinness while watching the film but it was only 10am.

    Rating: R
    Length: 96 minutes

    Review: 8 out of 10
  • hobster1
    May 9, 2012
    hobster1
    Dark comedy from Ireland about a vulgar Irish cop and an uptight FBI agent who form an unlikely pair while investigating a drug-smuggling ring. Predictably the humor comes from the interactions of the mismatched combo. Actor Brendan Gleeson is probably best known as Alastor "Mad ... read moreEye" Moody, the one eyed wizard in the Harry Potter films. Here he gets a rare opportunity to be the star as an unorthodox policeman. It's nice to see Gleeson get a chance to shine in his own film . Sergeant Gerry Boyle is sort of an Archie Bunker for the new millennium. "I'm Irish. Racism is part of my culture," he offers. Don Cheadle is an investigator named Everett who is the straight man to Gleeson's unpolitically correct character. A lot of the amusement is based on the culture clash between a strait-laced black American detective and an irreverent white Irish policeman. The set up is so obvious that the quips need to be creative. But the jokes don't really go far enough. "You're thinking, these men are armed and dangerous, and you being an FBI agent you're more used to shooting at unarmed women and children" - a typical insult. If put downs like that are your idea of the ultimate dis then you might find this entertaining. I found the one-liners to be mildly acerbic, but not especially funny.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    May 1, 2012
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    A Raucous Comedy

    Good movie. I expected more but that usually happens when you expect something out of a movie and not all comes true. If you are a fan of In Bruges, Snatch, or Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, I think you will enjoy this one. It falls just short of that level... read more, but not by much. Gleeson is outstanding and the story is simple enough, yet with plenty of twist, turns and hilarity. The film has lots of oddly humorous moments. None of them are laugh out loud moments but the film has quite a few clever moments--as well as many strange ones. The sum effect is an odd and uneven film but there's enough good to make it worth the while.

    Sergeant Gerry Boyle is a small-town Irish cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humor, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought straight-laced FBI agent Wendell Everett to his door.
  • LWOODS04
    April 21, 2012
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan, Dominique McElligott, Sarah Greene


    Director: John Michael McDonagh

    Summary: When tightly wound FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) invades an Irish village in p... read moreursuit of international drug dealers, wisecracking local copper Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) does his best to annoy the American and get on with his circumscribed life. But soon there's a murder, and Boyle finds himself swept up in detective work way beyond his pay grade. John Michael McDonagh directs this action-filled comedy.

    My Thoughts: "What a great film. Smart, funny, great characters, and best of all, great performances by Don Cheadle and especially by Brendan Gleeson. I absolutely loved this movie. Who would have ever guessed the random match of Gleeson and Cheadle would turn out so brilliantly? Best match up I've seen in a long time in a movie. Gleeson's character is rude, inappropriate, offensive, and brilliant. I love his character as Sergeant Gerry Boyle. One of the best films I have seen so far this year. Those who enjoy dark humor comedies and a good laugh, like myself will really enjoy this film."
  • fb1672039553
    April 20, 2012
    fb1672039553
    A richly Irish "Fargo" in spirit - the character roles, the dark humor and the quality of dialogue - The Guard was both cathartic and fun for the Irishman dwelling in me.
  • fb100002384654145
    March 12, 2012
    fb100002384654145
    Brendan Gleeson is delightfully hilarious as the foul-mouthed but infinitely likable Sergeant Garry Boyle. Gleeson and Don Cheadle have an incredible on-screen chemistry, with jokes that never fail to miss their mark. This movie also has one of the most fun group of villains I ... read morehave seen in a while, they manage to be threatening and entertaining to watch without coming across as silly caricatures. One word of warning though, the movie takes place in Ireland and some of the cast members speak with a heavy-Irish accent, so I suggest putting on subtitles. I personally did not have too much trouble understanding the dialogue but their were a few scenes were subtitles were helpful. Despite this "The Guard" remains a violent but fun dark-comedy.
  • cosmo313
    March 9, 2012
    cosmo313
    Directed by John Michael McDonagh (brother of In Bruges director Martin McDonagh), this is a dark comedy about an inrreverent and unconventional white Irish cop who is paired up with an uptight African American FBI agent sent to Ireland to help stop an international drug traffick... read moreing operation.

    Essentially this film is just a mash up between In the Heat of the Night with a bit of All in the Family but set in the modern Irish countryside. And, while the film does have a fairly solid police proceduarl type of plot, it's mainly a character study highlighted by the fish out of water pairing between the two lawmen.

    Both the procedural elements and the character study material are pretty strong and decently written. Things could have been perhaps a bit tighter, stronger, and clearer in both cases, but compared to most similar stuff that comes out these days, this is a really good piece of work. That's and it's pretty damn funny, too. It is dark humor, and it's off-kilter, but I did laugh a fair number of times, and appreciate the wittiness they filmmakers were going for.

    Cheadle may be more well known to most audiences than Gleeson, but Don is actually not the focus here. He's a supporting player. This is basically Gleeson's time to shine in the spotlight, and shine he does. In Bruges made me want to get to know his career more, and this definitely is a stand out role for him. He's just a delight to watch, and his character here is a real fascinating piece of work. He's great, Cheadle is decent enough, and as one of the antagonists, you've got the consummate tough guy Mark Strong doing what typecasting says he does best, He's good of course, but I kinda wanna see him branch out a bit more from time to time.

    Featuring some fine location shooting ,good cinematography, and a really eccelctic collection of music (score and soundtrack), there's a lot more to like here than just the writing and acting. The film does end on an odd note, but htat's okay because it's an offbeat kind of film anyways.

    All in all, a good film, but I'm not sure if it's quite really good, if not great. Maybe. It's definitely close. I'll just call it a super high B/almost B+ and leave it at that.
  • fb701560354
    February 1, 2012
    fb701560354
    The Guard is a raucous, violent comedy that takes place in Ireland. Now, let this be a warning, it's a little hard to understand all that is being said because of the thick irish accent. But I think you'll get used to it. Brendan Gleeson is great in this role, and strikes grea... read moret chemistry with Don Cheadle. I highly recommend this film, but be on your guard because the language comes fast, there is a lot of swearing (and I mean a lot), and it's hilarious to the point of crying. Just a fair warning....

View All The Guard Reviews

Critic Reviews

Liam Lacey
August 26, 2011
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Although The Guard is primarily a language romp, it's also a terrific showcase for veteran pug-faced character actor Brendan Gleeson. Full Review

Peter Howell
August 26, 2011
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Brendan Gleeson is a blooming marvel. Full Review

Roger Moore
August 22, 2011
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A laugh-out-loud comedy as hard as "The French Connection," a modern spaghetti Western on the windswept wastes of Ireland. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
August 19, 2011
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Crisp, acid-tongued and sharply acted, it's the sort of exercise in tangy Celtic cynicism that's become one of the Emerald Isle's most reliable imports. Full Review

Tom Long
August 19, 2011
Tom Long, Detroit News

There are few things finer in cinema than Brendan Gleeson's fat, happy face. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
August 19, 2011
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

McDonagh's script is agile, darting between the ridiculous, the sage and the surprisingly sentimental. His love of language and the absurd has hints of the wisecracking Quentin Tarantino. But the stor... Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz
August 18, 2011
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

"The Guard" is not the most original buddy-cop movie you'll see, but it well may be one of the most entertaining. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
August 12, 2011
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

"The Guard" himself may be no angel, but his movie is a wee slice of heaven. Full Review

Steven Rea
August 11, 2011
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Rich with inspired musings on pop culture, literature, philosophy, race, sex. Full Review

Peter Rainer
August 5, 2011
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

This black comedy needed to be a whole lot blacker and funnier. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: What a beautiful fuckin' day!
    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: I'm Irish, sir. Racism is part of my culture.
    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: You lads always announce seizure of drugs worth a street value at $10 million or $20 million or half a billion dollars. I wonder what street it is you're buying your cocaine on, because it's not the same street as I'm buying my cocaine on.
    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: Ever been shot?
    • FBI agent Wendell Everett: Yeah.
    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: Does it hurt?
    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: Any kids?
    • FBI agent Wendell Everett: Two boys. Stokely's five years old. Huey just turned three months old. I got a picture of him.
    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: I don't want to see it.
    • FBI agent Wendell Everett: Excuse me?
    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: I don't want to see it. Babies all look the same. The only time a baby doesn't look like every other baby is when it's a really ugly baby. So, unless it's a photo of a really ugly baby, I don't want to see it.
    • FBI agent Wendell Everett: Well, that's pretty fuckin' rude.
    • Sergeant Gerry Boyle: Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
    • FBI agent Wendell Everett: Oh, it is!
    • FBI agent Wendell Everett: I don't know if you're really mutha-fuckin' smart... or really mutha-fuckin' dumb.
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The Guard Trivia

  • One tagline for this film read, "Never let her out of your sight. Never let your guard down. Never fall in love."  Answer »
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