The Guard: John Michael McDonagh

Have you ever seen a film that you believed would not have succeeded if not for the talents of its cast? I get that feeling about John Michael McDonagh's The Guard. On the surface, this is just a run-of-the-mill buddy cop, fish-out-of-water story. A trio of drug dealers travel to Ireland's Gaelic speaking Connemara Gaeltacht and start off a chain of brutal killings. They baffle Boyle (Brendan Gleeson), the local Garda (Irish policeman), a man known for his eccentric and unorthodox behavior. Apparently, the drug dealers are so high profile that the FBI from America becomes involved, sending a top agent named Everett (Don Cheadle) to assist in the case. And we all know how this goes...Boyle's home-spun and slightly racist Irish personality leads to wacky results when mixed with Everett's serious and professional demeanor. But miraculously, Gleeson and Cheadle pull off their roles so successfully that this tired formula becomes reinvigorated and entertaining again. While Cheadle's performance is commendable, Gleeson steals the show as Boyle. Boyle may be one of the most fascinating and original characters in recent cinematic history. His manner is highly crude and foul, as he hires prostitutes and takes drugs. He is openly racist ("I'm Irish, sir. Racism is part of my culture.") and combative. But there are hints that he is highly intelligent and may have been an Olympic level swimmer. He drinks and sleeps on the job, but he's also an extremely capable and effective cop. Gleeson's performance is a revelation. If anybody else had played Boyle, I doubt very seriously that they would have pulled it off. And thank goodness. Gleeson is the glue that keeps this strange and fascinating film from blowing up in its own face.

7/10