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The Guard review
:. Director: John Michael McDonagh
:. Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle
:. Script: John Michael McDonagh
:. Running Time: 1:36
:. Year: 2011
:. Original Title: The Guard
:. Country: Ireland
:. Official Site: The Guard
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While you might not be familiar with writer/director John Michael McDonagh as The Guard is his first directional effort, the fact that he is the brother of Martin McDonagh whose flamboyant debut was the viciously funny In Bruges should give you an idea of what to expect. Dark humor and provocation are clearly running in the siblings' blood but what's even more remarkable is that they are able to deliver very funny movies without alienating their audience.
They can dare making mean jokes - whether they involve midgets or idiots - or racist gags - about African-Americans or gays - but they get away with it, as their spectators are smart enough to realize they should not take this at the first degree. The McDonagh brothers are masters as satire, their targets being not the victims of the jokes but the ignorance of their perpetrators.
This is particularly flagrant in The Guard since the film takes place in their beloved native Connemara: the locals are not haters; they are scared of African-Americans and gays mostly because all they know about them are stereotypes, which is what the director pokes fun at through his central character Sergeant Gerry Boyle (the always joyful Brendan Gleeson - Harry Potter, In Bruges) - Mr. McDonagh actually winks at the spectator, when Boyle is being told he might not be as stupid as he pretends to be.
The unorthodox sergeant was living quite a peaceful life, indulging in alcohol, drugs and prostitutes, until he is forced to team up with American FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle at ease in a stuck-up role) in order to take down a drug ring. The film is of course based on the confrontation of these two characters, Boyle and Everett slowly learning how to discover and appreciate each other despite Boyle's relentless jokes.
While most self-claimed comedies are usually not funny, The Guard is heavy on laughs, not only taking jibes at racism - as discussed earlier - but also at action movies and corruption. The film clearly goes for grotesque but also knows its boundaries, avoiding the traps of bad taste. Mrs. Gleeson and Cheadle clearly have fun with their role, carrying a smart script on their shoulder so that the director never has the need to use directional artifices. Mr. McDonagh also offers a colorful collection of supporting roles, which are never gratuitous and add another layer of fun to the story. The picture ends thumbing its nose at the spectator, another way to gently provoke us and remind us that you shouldn't take what you just watched too seriously.
Fred Thom
 New Movies - movie reviews
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