Irish police Sergeant Gerry Gleason (Brendan Gleason), whose job it is to protect the people of a small, provincial village, is a complex man. He takes pride in his uniform and dresses carefully and impeccably; yet, he also dresses hookers in that same police uniform (in their size and provocatively skimpy) for his amusement. He callously watches a car crash and casually examines the bodies of two young men, even emptying their wallets; on the other hand, he sympathetically advises a victim of abuse. He is not above taking a bribe, but will put his life on the line fighting crooks, even the same ones who paid him off. He calls himself the last of the independents; others call him unconventional. When all is said and done, he is still a mystery, admirable and untrustworthy. I'm not sure I like him, but i do want to understand his motivations. FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) comes to work with him on an international drug trafficking case. He's not so much a fish out of water, as a specialist in urban crime trying to bring some order to the investigation to get a positive result. The two crime fighters don't become buddies or learn from each other -- either in crime fighting techniques or philosophically. They barely see each other. But when one of them needs his back covered, the other is their.
Funny in a dry, dark, understated way (surely nowhere as rip-a-gut-laughing funny as British provincial cop movie, 'Hot Fuzz' (2007), 'The Guard' isn't waiting for laughs -- you either catch the jokes or barely notice them flying over your head. Gleason as become familiar to American audiences because of his role of Mad Eye' Moody in the Harry Potter films (2005, 7 and 10), and as Colin Farrell's co-conspirator in 'In Brughe' (2008). Though a formidable looking man, he seems unrecognizable from film to film even though he's appeared in many well-known films over a two-decades long career, a testiment to his talent. Cheadle has the thankless role of straight-man, conservative and all business, to Gleeson's unpredictable lead. The plot takes unexpected turns which keeps the audience guessing, as does much of the thick Irish brogue rapidly spoken by many of the characters.
The Guard
Director / Writer: John Michael McDonagh
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flannagan
Time: 96 min.
Rating: R
Opening August 5 at the Embarcadero Cinema in San Francisco
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