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The Guard

2011

John Michael McDonagh

Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot ...

6.5

12,479

Comedy. Thriller Confrontational Irish cop Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) reluctantly teams with uptight FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to take down a gang of international drug traffickers in this comedy thriller.

	Media	Author	Review
		Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times	"An impish and impudent black comedy that knows where it's going and how to get there, it gives veteran actor Brendan Gleeson one of the tastiest roles of his career"
		Justin Chang Variety	"A crusty jewel of a performance by Brendan Gleeson goes a long way toward enlivening an otherwise routine tale (...) Rudely funny and faintly melancholic"
		Manohla Dargis The New York Times	"There’s a story, in case you’re looking for one, though it’s almost an afterthought (...) Mr. Gleeson’s rogue is a treat, however conceptually contrived, and Mr. Cheadle’s lightly played gravity is a pleasure."
		Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"The framing and cinematography here are unobtrusive but efficient. The drama builds remorselessly. Much is at stake (...) 'The Guard' is a pleasure (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Todd McCarthy The Hollywood Reporter	"All production values are vibrantly in line with the elevated level of the speech and performances."
		Tim Robey Telegraph	"Nicely dry, pleasingly black (...) The always-unbeatable Gleeson is on simply outstanding form (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Steve Rose The Guardian	"Gleeson's amiably contrarian lead is the type of cop you'd happily watch on TV every week (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Kim Newman Empire	"Among the most purely entertaining films of the year, which cuts its laughter with a dose of Celtic melancholy (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Donald Clarke Irish Times	"A very diverting exercise in applied filth and creative absurdity."

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