Film Review from Tribeca Film Festival: The Guard
by Kathryn Loggins

The Guard is a gritty, fresh and witty comedy about two unlikely characters in search of justice. The problem is that each character wants to find justice on his own terms. Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Don Cheadle (Iron Man 2) star as two law enforcement agents on the verge of solving the case that will change their lives. The catch is that they have to work together to solve it and they couldn’t be more different. Sgt. Gerry Boyle (Gleeson), a small-town Irish cop who follows his own set of rules, teams up with stiff and buy-the-book FBI agent Wendell Everett (Cheadle) to take on a small-time murder that turns into much more.

The film is written and directed by Martin McDonagh (writer Ned Kelly) and marks his first feature directorial debut. The setting of the film is in County Galway, Ireland, where McDonagh’s father is originally from. It is a beautiful, but dark landscape that encompasses the compelling spirit of this film and helps the audience relate to both main characters. Not only the setting makes this story so captivating, but the characters themselves light up the screen. Gleeson and Cheadle have a great relationship on screen that is enhanced by the clever and quick-witted writing style.