The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Blistering performances.

Many reviewers have praised this movie but compared it unfavourably to In Bruges. In my opinion, this is the funnier of the two and is the kind of film you can watch again and again to pick up on lines you may have missed first time round. It's so well crafted every word moves the story further, there is no padding and wicked humour is found in the grimmest of places.Maybe that's is why I love it more each time I watch it. There is such a lot to admire and every detail seems carefully thought out. The whole cast are good but Gleeson is absolutely superb.I like British/Irish films and put this on par with Snatch or Death at a Funeral (British version!) in its style of mordant humour.

The cold attitude, black comedy and relaxed way of Sergeant Gerry Boyle is very likable on film anyway, I think his counterpart FBI agent Wendell Everett finds it a bit strange and annoying :)Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle makes a great team in this film, they do get on each others nerves, but are both very likable and funny. The film has the same easy going attitude, it strides along slowly and have some bumps here and there, but it all fits in and plays out very well at the end.This is highly entertaining, British black comedy, great in so many ways :)

This Film was Made in Ireland by Irishmen. The Accents are as Thick as the Profanity in this Satirical Ethnic Crime Film. There is a lot of Humor Derived from Stereotypical Racism, so if that Offends, Stay Away from this. Ditto if Four Letter Words Turn You off.At Times Raunchy, but it is All Done with such Light-Heartedness that it Smooths Over Quite Nicely. Brenden Gleeson's Star Turn is Admirable and Along with the Sharp and Delightful Cinematography Carry the Show. There is a Bit of Bite to the Dialog and the Film Fluctuates from Warm-Hearted Taking Care of Mom Stuff to Philosophical Rants from Unlikely Criminals and Such, a Modern Flourish that hasn't Worn Out its Welcome.Don Cheadle Plays Don Cheadle and is there Mostly to take the Brunt of Gleeson's Riffs on Drugs, Sex, Race, Crime, and Corruption. The Film Stays Fresh in a Genre and Style that is Getting Quite Old but Still has some Staying Power when it is done with Wit and Heart.

The Guard is a comedy that boasts a high level of cheeky humour and a cast that knows perfectly how to perform to this kind of comedy. With it's distinctly Irish flavour it never seems to fail at any point and even when the jokes aren't crying out loud one's, they are still pretty smartly done. It's quite short for a film with such a plot, but goes along way to getting the most out of it's script, I felt that it was firmly a very good movie, and here is why.The story is just a great one for a comedy, it is very dark comedy and everything can seem very bleak at times to say such funny lines are being produced. What was nice to see in the plot was that it wasn't afraid to maybe get slightly philosophical at times(even if it has a tinge of sarcasm),and really allow the characters to grow and grow so that we get to know them well, but they also deliver a comical performance, this film is very Irish comedy, all around the place.Brendan Gleeson in the main role as Sergeant Gerry Boyle is jolly and really contributes to the end rating of this movie, he brilliantly portrays a funny cop who we are not sure whether he is a good cop or a bent cop. Don Cheadle as the FBI agent goes along well with Gleeson and the casual racism directed towards him from some of the characters is dealt with well by the character, but also in a way that you know it is offensive and the racist person is just being plain dumb.John Michael McDonagh is the brain child behind this project and with a pretty limited budget to get such a cast, he manages to churn out a comedy with well constructed jokes bursting out from it. He directs and writes it and his talent for doing so is seen all the way through, he just knows what to do and the jokes flow through very nicely and also, they are very well times and not overdone. One more things to say is the setting is great, bleak but beautiful I felt it was a great advert fro Ireland, even if in the film, it contains some far from respectable characters. My only real criticism is well, I could say the jokes are never quite massive laughs, this movie will and does make you laugh but it is more of a conveyor belt of great jokes, but they won't make you cry at any point, unless you absolutely love McDonagh's comedy. Not so much criticism but I would have liked to have seen more of the community get involved in the film and really be a bit like the film "Hot Fuzz", but in the way that the town has various humorous characters. Fans of smart comedy and obviously Irish comedy should love this through and through, it just will entice you from start to finish and the running time doesn't drag this down, if anything it doesn't over stay it's welcome. If you like big gags and stunts, basically slapstick type humour, you won't like this as it mostly is funny by word of mouth, not if a character falls of a building and dies, it is much more complex than that.Overall it is Firmly a Very Good movie. You have to like it even if you don't laugh so much, it could lack jokes for some viewers and maybe others will not want the story, they may just want comedy which is fair, but I will say, this movie can be very enjoyable, if you watch it and enjoy the great mix of great comedy, and great story telling.