The Guard

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Coming from a similarly dark but comedic place as his brother Martin's debut feature In Bruges, John Michael McDonagh proves that talent and irreverent wit runs in the family with this often hilarious fish-out-of-water tale. Anchored by another brilliant Brendan Gleeson performance, the fish is actually Don Cheadle's ostensibly pedantic FBI Agent, who proves a perfect foil to Gleeson's wry, borderline genius Connemara copper.

Gleeson is veteran Officer Sergeant Gerry Boyle, a bit of a rogue cop who marches by the beat of his own drum. When a drug smuggling ring headed by Liam Cunningham and Mark Strong's criminals sets up shop on Boyle's turf, the FBI send Cheadle's decorated agent to oversee the investigation. While not getting off to a great start - Boyle raises his hand during a briefing to ask the FBI Agent if he is "from the hood" - the two men soon come to share a mutual respect, and team up to investigate the case.

Brendan Gleeson embodies Gerry Boyle so completely perfectly that you won't be able to fathom anyone else playing the man after you leave the cinema. Like a great tennis player, his performance instantly raises the game of those around him and the Howth native gives arguably the best performance of the year so far. Cheadle and Strong have far less to do, but both men obviously understood the tone of the script and deliver solid supporting performances, while Cunningham is great as the quintessential Dublin gang boss.

If there is fault with The Guard, however, it's its aesthetic. The film could have looked better, and at times the edits aren't as cohesive as they could have been. It's far from a fatal flaw, but it is noticeable at points. That said, when the script is this good and the cast this talented, it really is a minor glitch.

It's difficult not to compare this film to 'In Bruges' as the tone isn't dissimilar and there's an obvious connection with Gleeson and McDonagh. The Colin Farrell-starrer is probably that little bit darker, though, while The Guard feels more like its protagonist; ironic and almost satirical, but ultimately smarter than it initially appears to be.

Worth seeing for Gleeson's brilliant performance alone, this is a sharp, sardonic and at times hilarious Irish film.