Reviews

Hip, lurid and improbably lovable, "The Guard" is easily the best guy-love comedy of the summer, with Cheadle and Gleeson's riffs and repartee tumbling back and forth as if they've been trading lies over Guinness forever. (And keep a look out for such stellar supporting players as Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan and Pat Shortt.) "The Guard" himself may be no angel, but his movie is a wee slice of heaven.

By Ann Hornaday, from The Washington Post

There are few things finer in cinema than Brendan Gleeson's fat, happy face.

Not that his face is always happy. With just the slightest inflection, he can make that marvelous mug intimidating, inquisitive, joking, pressing, disgusted, bemused or wise. His options seem endless, his range near limitless.

By Tom Long, from The Detroit News

McDonagh is the brother of Martin McDonagh, who wrote and directed "In Bruges," in which Gleeson also starred. The brothers share a love of language, evidently the more profane the better. On its surface, "The Guard" seems a lighter movie, but that's because of the breeziness of the performances. There is some seriously dark stuff going on here. It's just that the actors, particularly Gleeson, are having so much fun taking part in it that it takes a while to notice.

"The Guard" is not the most original buddy-cop movie you'll see, but it well may be one of the most entertaining. With his actors' help, McDonagh tweaks the formula just enough to keep us guessing, and he always keeps us engaged.

By Bill Goodykoontz, from The Arizona Republic