For more comedy from Brendan Gleeson, watch 'The Guard'

"I don't know if you're fucking stupid or fucking smart."

In 2008, Brendan Gleeson starred in Martin McDonagh's film In Bruges alongside Irish actor Colin Farrell ), the film was such a hit and cult favorite that the trio reunited for 2022's The Banshees of Inisherin. Meanwhile, Gleeson starred in two films with Martin's brother, John Michael McDonald. The filmmaker is best known for writing and directing the bleak drama "Golgotha," which also starred Gleeson, and the 2011 comedy "The Guard," in which Gleeson played a Unorthodox Irish Police, or "Guards" as they are called in Ireland. Gleason's Sergeant Gerry Boyle is a Connemara policeman with a less sunny personality. This rude and confrontational tantrum can even be seen while at work even involving drugs and alcohol on several occasions. Yet, between Gleeson's layered performance and MacDonald's deft writing, they've built the character into a A balanced person who also has a soft side.

'The Guard's Opening Tells Us Everything We Need to Know

The film opens with a group of young troublemakers speeding through the countryside in a red car. They sped past and Sergeant Boyle was camping outside with his speed camera, on duty. However, when he caught up with the car, It has capsized, killing everyone inside. The police were very indifferent to the incident and seemed not yet in a rush to call the police, continuing to check the victim's pockets. After finding the drugs, he said to himself, "I don't think your mother is going to be too happy about this now," before eating the contraband himself while in uniform. Prompt title: "Guard".

'The Guard's Humour Is Unapologetically Dark

The film's story begins with Boyle visiting a cabin to investigate a murder. This time, he is joined by his new boss, Aidenke Bride (Rori Keenan), from Dublin. McBride is the antithesis of Boyle. A young, young, enthusiastic cop, keen to follow the line while keeping an open mind about the possibility that the murders have something to do with serial killers or even occultists, apparently in the big city. However, Boyle leaned on the corpse, fondled its genitals, and when McBride called him out, Boyle lied, "I have a talent. Didn't anyone tell you? Clairvoyance, like." He Poking fun at the blunt, open-minded McBride at the expense of disrespecting the dead and ruining the crime scene. When McBride called Boyle's behavior inappropriate, Boyle scoffed, telling McBride If he wants to fit, he should go to America, in a hilarious scene that culminates in an unexpected "Barack Obama!"

This early scene shows that the character, and the film, does have a sense of humor, even if it's not the kind you'd expect. Boyle may be a curmudgeon, but he also enjoys it, and in an interaction with McBride, he tells the audience that this is the film's humor — it's bleak — and take it or go Bar! With Sergeant Boyle, you know where you stand from the start. The other thing this scene is sure of is that the movie will pit Boyle against another law enforcement officer who contradicts his entire mantra, creating a comical twist in this buddy-cop drama. Double act. The relationship is reminiscent of Gleeson's opposite of Colin Farrell in their Martin MacDonald films, however, the film's hands end up being Gleeson's character and Don Cheadle's FBI agent Wendell Everett, not Rory Keenan's McBride.

The 'Odd Couple' Relationship Between Gerry and Wendell

Cheadle plays Wendell Everett, an FBI agent who is hunting down the character played by Francis Shea-Skelfington (Game of Thrones' Sir Davos, Liam Cunningham) ) led by four Irish drug traffickers. everett trusts these people A large shipment of cocaine was awaiting from Jamaica, and it was hoped to contact the Irish Police (or "Gardaí") and intercept the handover, arresting the four. During the briefing, in which Boyle rudely suggested that "I think only black lads are drug dealers," he eventually admitted that he was toying with Everett, revealing that he recognized one of the suspects as a murder victim in the cabin. Gleeson's partnership with Cheadle, as well as other more traditional characters throughout the film, gives fans of "In Bruges" and "The Banshee of Inishering" even more weird antics from the cast action. Beyond that, British actor Mark Strong plays Cockney culprit Clive Cornell, a role reminiscent of Ralph Fiennes Harry as Harry in In Bruges. In addition to the stellar cast, then-little-known Dominique McElligott is now best known for playing Queen Maeve in "The Boys." The Irish actress played one of two sex workers hired by Boyle to entertain him in a police uniform during his breaks.

'The Guard' Offers a Different Take on the Rogue Cop

Brendan Gleeson is an actor known for his versatile roles in several films. However, his role in "The Guard" is outstanding, not only compared to his other performances, but Compared to other representatives of the police. Sergeant Gerry Boyle is a grumpy guy, more than happy to bend the rules at his whim, but not in the way we'd expect. Unlike the rogue and reckless cops we're used to seeing these days in old man teasers like The Shield or Banshee, which might prove problematic today, what makes Gerry so interesting is that he's a man with a strong sense of his own life and Someone whose roles are so fulfilling. Despite the ongoing international drug investigation, he has not been ashamed of enjoying a scheduled day off and spent the day with the aforementioned friendly sex worker from Dublin.

Gerry is the embodiment of self-awareness and self-care, and despite his unorthodox methods and preferences, the film never says that about him, as he still wins with coolness and does his job with dignity, even if not by the book . Police breaking the rules is no longer the most popular piece of media content given recent events, but the Guard has done a good job of avoiding the trope in which police breaking the rules sees brutal trials of suspects. Instead, he is a man with his own set of ethics (some legal, Some have fewer), and their priority is to hurt fewer people, not more. With black humor, he only intends to enjoy a peaceful life in the way he likes. If he can take the opportunity to solve the case, that would be even better!

This funny character piece is a hilarious take on the stereotype of a man who is ingrained in his region and has no ambition to leave. For that reason, it was a wake-up call for Inisherin Banshee fans. Gleeson's subtle but solid comedic performance is essentially just a very realistic drama performance, and his understanding of this very specific character is enough to make the great work most of the talking. His reactions to the more normal people around him give us a new appreciation for the sarcasm in some of our more visceral responses, turning the joke on us rather than him. So fans of McDonald's comedy and Gleason shows in particular will be delighted to discover The Guard.