If you 'get' this style of film, you will know within the first couple of minutes that you are going to love The Guard. Apt comparisons have been made to In Bruges and Father Ted, and writer/director McDonagh has indeed nailed the maniacal boredom and resignation to everyday life on display here, but the tone is more Twin Peaks than Hot Fuzz. A lot of 'fish out of water' and 'mismatched cops' cliches are utilised, but with the characters' knowing and self-deprecating dialogue and dead-pan delivery, the players and the unfolding story remain interesting throughout. Brendan Gleeson strides through this movie as Garda officer Gerry Boyle with incredible strength and wit, matched by an impeccably-delivered turn by Don Cheadle as the visiting FBI agent and Mark Strong clearly relishing his role as a world-weary drug dealer. Even the piquant sub-plot featuring Boyle's cancer-stricken mother (played by the superb Fionnula Flanagan) is handled with great honesty rather than sentimentality. The Guard is a clever, exquisitely-handled and beautifully-performed film that is truly satisfying and maintains its high quality throughout.
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