Review of The Guard (2011) by Marty H — 10 Mar 2013
A simple little Irish crime tale with enough humor from lead actor Brendan Gleason to keep you watching until the end. It was evident to me that the film was low-budget. There was poor acting from some of the random locals and Gleeson's mom which annoyed me and the writing was very predictable. I don't really know how to critique some of the camera angles and lighting that McDonagh chose. At times, it felt like the film went from the studio to the stage which didn't seem to fit with the flow of the film.
Cheadle plays an inner city, Atlanta-based FBI agent who arrives in a small, out of touch little Irish town by the name of Galway to assist in the investigation of these sudden murders. The chemistry created by pairing Cheadle with Gleeson is truly original and fun. Gleeson's racial jokes get drawn out towards the end of the film and becomes borderline aggravating. But again, Cheadle's presence allowed me to tolerate more racist slurs than I usually would be able to.
I'd say that this is a solid effort from McDonagh, writing and directing for the first time. And my radar is now on alert for future Brenden Gleeson flicks.
3/5.
This review of The Guard (2011) was written by Marty H on 10 Mar 2013.
The Guard has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
