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The Guard: The Funniest Film Of 2011
Local Hero crossed with In Bruges or Father Ted meets Bad Lieutenant? Either way, get yourself into The Guard.
There’s a little sub-genre of film that seems to be developing that may best be described as ‘Irish Black Comedy’. Every couple of years the Emerald Isle kicks up a little belter like Intermission or In Bruges and now we’ve got another to join the gang – the funniest film of 2011, The Guard.
Centred around a superb performance by everyone’s favourite Irishman Brendan Gleeson, the film tells the story of a couldn’t-give-a-shit Garda sergeant who takes a break from his life of small town ennui, corruption, drug-taking and whoring to sort out a gang of international drug smugglers. It’s like Father Ted meets Bad Lieutenant.
There’s a bit more to it, but not much and (quite honestly) the intricacies of the plot run second to a series of hilariously foul-mouthed, dead-pan scenes that rightly seem more concerned with seeking laughs through cracking wise than building a cohesive narrative. A few deleted scenes on the DVD help to flesh out some of the underexplored relationships in the film and tidy up a couple of plot points but it’s best not to worry about the deficiencies of the film, just enjoy the highly quotable lines.
It shouldn’t really work but all the way through the script consists of the kind of marvellously-written and delivered bollocks that make the whole enterprise well worth 90 minutes of anyone’s time.
It’s a film that you occasionally feel like you’ve seen before; Don Cheadle turns up as a CIA agent and you think things are going to go a little Local Hero and a couple of times you sense the shadow of Welsh caper Twin Town, but the film manages to steer it’s own course and by the end you know you’ve seen something quite of itself. Worthy of note is the fact that The Guard is written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, brother of Martin McDonagh, the writer and director of In Bruges. There must have been the taste of Guinness in the water round their house as (considering the pair of them were born and raised in London) they seem to have a way with zingy dialogue rattled out in an Irish accent and definitely know how to get the best out of Brendan Gleeson. Also, music fans will be glad to know that the mariachi/ Morricone soundtrack is provided by Calexico.
The Guard is superb character comedy which rings the laughs from the old staple of dozy-gits-doing-clever-stuff-and-clever-gits-underestimating-the-dozy-gits. It shouldn’t really work but all the way through the script consists of the kind of marvellously-written and delivered bollocks that make the whole enterprise well worth 90 minutes of anyone’s time. It’s a form of comedy that the English occasionally do well over 30 minutes but it seems that you need to get our Gaelic cousins on board if you want to make it work over the length of a film. Or should I say fil-um?
The Guard is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on Jan 3.
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COMMENTS
Richard Luck
9:56 am, 20-Dec-2011
Here, Here, Mr Lee - great stuff.
Knappa
10:13 am, 20-Dec-2011
Hear, hear!
vinfox
11:39 am, 20-Dec-2011
For my money the greatest dark Irish comedy of recent times (maybe ever) is Adam and Paul. I highly recommend everyone to check it out.
Angus Melville
11:44 am, 20-Dec-2011
Was In Bruges an Irish movie? There was one Irish character in it. Does that make it an Irish movie. Genuinely not sure about that. You could switch it for The Commitments.
Dave Lee
11:49 am, 20-Dec-2011
I know what you mean Angus but I doubt In Bruges would be anywhere as funny if the characters were any other nationality. There's something about the words being said in that accent by those actors that makes it work so well. In my head it's as Irish as they come. It's a moot point, though.
Dave Lee
11:53 am, 20-Dec-2011
Also, surely there were 2 Irish characters in In Bruges, Gleeson and Farrell.
vinfox
12:02 pm, 20-Dec-2011
@Angus Farrell and Gleeson are both Dubliners although from memory I can't recall there being any reference to their Irishness in the film (not required really).Although born in London to Irish parents, I know writer/director Martin McDonagh most certainly considers himself Irish. Afterall, there are more things than place of birth to consider when determining someone's nationalty. The film also premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival. Plenty of factors there to consolidate the authors claim that it's an Irish film. Tony Cascarino probably is English though.
vinfox
12:04 pm, 20-Dec-2011
@Dave Your comments weren't there when I started to type. I wasn't just being repetitive.
Ty1
12:13 pm, 20-Dec-2011
Agreed...such an underated film Gleeson kills it
Angus Melville
1:05 pm, 20-Dec-2011
Fair points all. I shall now consider it an Irish movie. It is - indeed - a classic and anyone who does not already own it should rush out and buy it.
film2005?
3:49 pm, 20-Dec-2011
A review of a film that was released in august, when I saw it. You lot are on the ball. What you going to review next? Herbie rides again?
Dave Lee
4:03 pm, 20-Dec-2011
Thanks for your contribution Film2005? and congratulations on finding your way into a cinema. You fail to appreciate, however, that this is a review ahead of the DVD release (hence the mentions of deleted scenes and a DVD release date) rather than a review in advance of cinema release. You pointless cunt.
Owen Blackhurst
4:05 pm, 20-Dec-2011
Dave, took the words off my fingertips
Dave Lee
4:06 pm, 20-Dec-2011
Cheers Owen. you pointless cunt.
Bernard Bresslaw
5:46 pm, 20-Dec-2011
@Dave Lee Tbf talking about Irish characters Ralph Fiennes delivers some of the best lines.
Dave Lee
5:48 pm, 20-Dec-2011
But he's a cockernee in it, Bernard. Has anyone here actually seen In Bruges?
Bernard Bresslaw
6:02 pm, 20-Dec-2011
@Yeah, you said if the characters were any other nationality, Fiennes is and he is just as funny with his psychotic love of fairytale Bruges. Not knocking it but think it would have been as funny with say, Geordies.
Jacky
8:04 pm, 20-Dec-2011
@ Dave Lee: Yeah, I've seen it. Great film, especially that Scouse midget. You pointless cunt.
Dub
8:04 pm, 20-Dec-2011
Am yet to see "The Guard" but will have a look. vinfox, good shout on Adam & Paul. With regards to Irish films, I Went Down is another worth a look as are the film adaptations of Roddy Doyle's Barrytown Trilogy - The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van
Tony
5:43 am, 21-Dec-2011
Farrell: 'In Bruges' ... 'der filmin' dwarfs' ... Funniest line in the movie and works ONLY because of its IRISH character and delivery. This lingers long past the memory of the rest of the film. See also 'Waking Ned Devine.'
The Cush
2:57 pm, 21-Dec-2011
"Two mangy hookers, and a racist dwarf. I'm off" In Bruges was a funnier film but The Guard caught me off, eh, guard with some of it's lines and deliveries. Vinfox, the problem with Adam and Paul for me was that the characters and situations were too bloody everyday real and because of the all too real ending i felt a bit bad about laughing at any previous exploits.
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