Rent The Guard (2011)
3.8 of 5 from 538 ratings
1h 32min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Sergeant Gerry Boyle is a small-town cop with a confrontational personality, a rebellious sense of humour, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in international cocaine smuggling ring that has brought FBI agent Wendell Everett to his door. However, when his enthusiastic new partner disappears, his favourite hooker attempts to blackmail him and the drug-traffickers themselves try to buy him off, sergeant Boyle finally realises that he needs to take matters into his own hands.
- Actors:
- Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Ronan Collins, Paraic Nialand, John Patrick Beirne, Liam O'Conghaile, Christopher Kilmartin, Rory Keenan, Declan Mannlen, Laurence Kinlan, Michael Og Lane, Liam Cunningham, Owen Sharpe, Fionnula Flanagan, Wale Ojo, Mark O'Halloran, Gary Lydon, Darren Healy, Conor Moloney
- Directors:
- John Michael McDonagh
- Producers:
- Chris Clark, Flora Fernandez-Marengo, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe
- Writers:
- John Michael McDonagh
- Studio:
- Element Films
- Genres:
- Comedy, Thrillers
- Collections:
- 2012, CinemaParadiso.co.uk Through Time
- Countries:
- Ireland
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 16/01/2012
- Run Time:
- 92 minutes
- Languages:
- English Audio Description, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- Bonus:
- Director's commentary with Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle
- Behind the scenes featurette
- Outtakes
- Deleted and extended scenes
- Short film 'The second death'
- Trailer
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Reviews (5) of The Guard
Funny and absorbing - The Guard review by MG
Everything hinges on the central characater, who is brilliantly portrayed. If you like him (and I expect most people will), you will like the film. It is really a western, but set in Ireland - will the flawed sheriff retain his integrity and successfully take on the bad guys?
Excellent acting throughout and well directed, the film cashes in the "rural Ireland charm card" effectively.
Lots of laugh out loud moments, but also real threat and evil. A very good film.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Very funny film - The Guard review by AM
Well worth renting this out! I didn't think it was going to be as good.
The characters were brilliant in it. The film keeps you gripped with it being very funny at the same time,
I don't have any faults with it, I hope they make another film to follow it up.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Great Comedy Thriller - The Guard review by GI
A dark, deliciously funny Irish comedy thriller starring the inimitable Brendan Gleeson as a cynical policeman, Gerry Boyle, who has an easy life covering his 'patch' on the remote western coast of Ireland. He's unconventional to say the least and lives a life avoiding any stress and takes everything in his stride and basically says and does what he likes. When the FBI arrive hunting an international drug trafficking gang Gerry is bemused especially as he knows more than they do and Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) can't make up his mind if Gerry is stupid or very, very smart. Wonderfully written this is a laugh-out-loud adult comedy, dry and clever. It's a well crafted film and Gerry Boyle is a superbly written character, far subtler than at first obvious. The final denouement reveals just how sharp a creation he is. This is great stuff and so good to see a cop thriller taken into the zany directions this goes with it's casual racism, it's cynical viewpoint on police corruption and the IRA. It's touching too. A great little film.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
The Guard review by Melissa Orcine - Cinema Paradiso
‘The Guard’ is about, well, the guard played by Irish character actor Brendan Gleeson. As Sgt. Gerry Boyle, Gleeson is unafraid to be an impish man of the law. See, Boyle is responsible for the scenic coastal Connemara territory. But the idyllic location may be picturesque yet it’s a hub of criminality – drugs, booze, prostitutes – you name it, they’ve got it. And you know how Boyle keeps the peace? It’s because he’s at peace with the hooligans – in fact, he is one of them! With Boyle’s hedonistic approach at law enforcement, you may want to projectile vomit at him. But Boyle is unusually adorable… to the viewers, anyway.
When an American FBI agent (Don Cheadle) comes to town and he gets partnered up with Boyle, sparks don’t exactly fly. But they have to work together to catch the FBI’s most wanted hoodlums. An Irishman (who just happens to be racist) and a staunch African-American as partners? Yes, disaster waiting to happen is the understatement of the year.
As ‘The Guard’, actor Brendan Gleeson doesn’t have to try too hard to convince us he’s a major douchebag but at least he’s an honest major douchebag. He has always been awesome in every role he plays. He’s done everything – serious gangster flicks, zombie movies , even a fantasy film – and he doesn’t even miss a beat.
Don Cheadle on the other hand, is just equally as fascinating. A real dramatic actor with comedic movie credits as well, Cheadle can go toe to toe with Gleeson. You can say ‘The Guard’ is a buddy cop flick but don’t say it’s just another ‘Lethal Weapon’. At the helm is writer-director John Michael McDonagh, the brother of Martin McDonagh, whom Gleeson has worked wonderfully in the film ‘In Bruges’.
‘The Guard’ could be part of that crime film anthology, what with its spitfire writing and focus on lovable ruffians going about their business in the criminal underworld, no biggie.