Review of The Guard (2011) by Nuclear O — 02 Mar 2012
British comedies have their own flair. When you break it down even further, however, it's clear that Irish ones have more distinct flair. This flick makes a great case for that hypothesis. This is kind of a thriller comedy, with the thrilling coming from a drug cartel storyline, and the comedy coming in all kinds of dry, "black" type.
Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I) fills the comedic role with nuance and a straight face. He's vile, offensive, and has a penchant for less than reputable activities, but he's still quite affable.
Even though his superiors see him as daft, he's actually quite brilliant - and doesn't mince words or take the politically correct avenue. The film is quite interesting because of its cross genre aspects, but it never reaches a pure entertainment setting.
Some supporting turns from the likes of Don Cheadle (Iron Man 2), Liam Cunningham (Hunger), Fionnula Flanagan (The Invention of Lying), and the incomparably devilish Mark Strong (The Eagle) make it a cut above the generic attempt at genre-blending.
This review of The Guard (2011) was written by Nuclear O on 02 Mar 2012.
The Guard has generally received positive reviews.
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