The Guard

The Guard soars along on a script, like those by the other McDonagh (Martin wrote and directed "In Bruges" and the Oscar winning short "Six Shooter," both starring Gleeson) built out of verbal flourishes and Irish curses.

The movie is more pure, profane enjoyment than a body should have in the dog days of August.

It's a nifty little Irish summer vacation.

Gleeson is triumphant in this portrait of a complex man who is concurrently sensitive, boorish, brilliant, singular, and unforgettable.

How dark is this comedy? It's a big hit in Ireland.

The Guard is John Michael McDonagh's caustically funny riff on cop and crime films.

Like the recent "Perrier's Bounty," The Guard feels like it might play better at home than overseas.

Brendan Gleeson! Brendan Gleeson, Brendan Gleeson and once again... Brendan Gleeson! A beautiful little, perfectly written and all-around marvelously acted film which is tightly packaged and wrapped up with a magnificent performance by Brendan Gleeson (have I mentioned him already?). This little tit-bit from Ireland provides a couple of hours of pure fun, sentiment (real sentiment that is, not Hollywood-manufactured "one man starts clapping and the rest join in" sentiment), intelligent and enjoyable dialogue and hits the nail right on the cap as far as what a movie's supposed to do for its viewer. It entertains from top to bottom without trying to go too far or leave you waiting for it to end. If I had to sum this film up in one line it would be: Just the right amount of everything! (+ Brendan Gleeson :)) ).

Fairly entertaining black comedy with good performances and very dark humour.

John Michael McDonagh's directorial debut, "The Guard" -- much like his younger brother Martin's early efforts, I might add -- succeeds heavily on its usage of black comedy and its lead performance from Brendan Gleeson, but beyond that I was left feeling a little disappointed by it. There was just something about the pacing overall that really hampered things for me. I suppose I'd call it a decided lack of urgency. Don't get me wrong. Everything you're watching has an eventual point. It's just that the events leading up to that point feel a little too pedestrian for my tastes, with most of the comedy making me smile, but not laugh out loud much, unfortunately. A quick, worthy watch, but not one I feel will be sticking with me for too long.

The usual family movie with allegedly elements of the comedy. Which is absent. The plot so simply is also not interesting, and so boring characters, except the main character that it seems that all movie is just to steam of good comedy jokes. It is disappointed, I expected much more, to the prosla of reviews and recommendations that it is allegedly ridiculous comedy.

Gleeson was great, but Cheadle's character was flat and uninteresting. His lines consisted mostly of some variation on an offended "Excuse me?", to heighten the outrageousness of Gleeson's quips. In fact, his whole character is there only as a foil for Boyle (hey, that rhymes!). "I can't figure out if you're really stupid or really smart." The same kind of amateurish writing is on display in the multiple scenes where the bad guys actually say things like, "We can't do that, we're drug traffickers!" As if the screenwriter was afraid the audience wouldn't get the irony and hilarity of something they were doing or saying unless he reminded us that these were the bad guys. Overall, a few funny moments or lines, but mostly unfunny and uneven.