Ahead of its Irish Release THE GUARD Garners International Critical Acclaim
Following on from its opening of the Edinburgh Film Festival last week and press screenings in New York THE GUARD, which opens in Irish cinemas next month, has been receiving praise from the critics.
The Times review at the Edinburgh Film Festival said "Without doubt the strongest debut film of the year so far, this sly witty and provocative Irish black comedy is an exceptionally funny crowd-pleaser and a playfully cine-literate exercise, laced with arcane movie references".
Meanwhile NYCmovieguru.com said that the film was "the best dark comedy since ‘In Bruges'. Wickedly funny. It will leave you in stitches" following its New York screening.
Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, THE GUARD has previously been selected for the renowned Sundance, Berlin and Tribeca film festivals earlier this year with Screen Daily commenting that "The Guard will win over audiences with its zinger lines from McDonagh's script and deft casting in all the roles" while Hollywood Reporter described it as "Scabrous, profane, violent, verbally adroit and very often hilarious ".
THE GUARD, boasts an impressive cast including Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges, Harry Potter, The General), Don Cheadle (Iron Man 2, Crash, Hotel Rwanda), Fionnuala Flanagan (Lost, Transamerica), Liam Cunningham (Hunger, The Wind that Shakes the Barley) and Mark Strong (Kick Ass, Sherlock Holmes). The film is set on the west coast of Ireland where Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Gleeson) is a small-town Irish cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humour, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international drug-smuggling ring that has brought FBI agent Wendell Everett (Cheadle) to his door.
Gleeson's performance has in particular been garnering glowing reviews:
According to Variety"... it's Gleeson who rightly owns the screen as a beer-swilling, crotch-grabbing, Derringer-firing crusader with one hell of a filthy mouth to go along with his heart of gold."
"Brendan Gleeson can do no wrong and this blackly comic Irish valentine boasts an outstanding cast of Irish veterans". The Boston Herald
"...funny, rueful, beautifully shot, and a fine, funny/serious performance by Brendan Gleeson". Parade Magazine
".... Brendan Gleeson was terrific and it's fun to see him paired up with the dependable Don Cheadle". Film Journal
THE GUARD is an Irish/UK co-production, backed by the Irish Film Board as well as international financiers. It's produced by Chris Clark and Flora Fernandez Marengo for Reprisal Films and Ed Guiney (Garage) and Andrew Lowe (The Wind that Shakes the Barley) for Element Pictures.
It opens in Irish cinemas on July 8th.