The Guard - James King

The Guard

Or

How a dirty, racist-seeming Galway cop and a straight-laced African-American FBI agent learn to get along and stop some drug dealers.

Straight from the Red Box at Shaw’s Supermarket comes a very funny Irish film called the Guard.  If you were a fan of Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges and Six Shooter ( a short available on itunes), then you’ll like this movie written and directed by his brother, John.  Be warned, however, that it lacks the dramatic heft and razor-sharp dialogue of those films; but what John’s film lacks in depth it makes up for in comedy.  And the style, the style is terrific—kind of like a an episode of Twin Peaks using a foul-mouthed, ultra-violent, ostensibly-racist, Spaghetti Western-inspired script from Terrantino.  But that might be off, because this is a local film and it can’t really be described apart from its connection to Connemara and Galway.  For instance nearly everyone involved--save Cheadle (remember Hotel Rwanda? Crash? He’s great)-- is Irish and it plays on stereotypes and references unique to the West of Ireland (for instance- a memorable Irish-language scene, the unique dangers of Dublin whores, “I’m Irish, racism is part of my culture”, and other things I have no clue about because I’m not from there).  I think that the film’s international success stems from how everyone can relate to the eccentricities of small-town communities far removed from the culture (confines?) of an urban center.  Also the acting is top-notch:  Brendan Gleason plays Sgt. Gerry Boyle as a likable, roguish, slightly-corrupt cop with a heart of gold so well that you feel like you’ve known him for years.  Gleason has the unique gift of giving any character instantaneous depth but not at the price of not making you want to laugh at him.  Furthermore, the supporting cast all help create a very real sense of community--from the steely Fionnula Flanagan as his equally lovable, unscrupulous mother to--my favorite character—a freckled-face boy in Reebok gear riding his bicycle around weapons drops and drug boats.  I think that it’s this depth that makes the comedy work:  you feel like you know Boyle and the rest and you laugh at their shortcomings and, by the end, really really hope that they can save the day and themselves.