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The Guard

  • 2011
  • R
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
92K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,797
523
Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson in The Guard (2011)
An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is teamed up with an uptight FBI agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.
Play trailer1:34
12 Videos
56 Photos
ComedyCrimeThriller

An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is partnered with an uptight F.B.I. agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is partnered with an uptight F.B.I. agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is partnered with an uptight F.B.I. agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.

  • Director
    • John Michael McDonagh
  • Writer
    • John Michael McDonagh
  • Stars
    • Brendan Gleeson
    • Don Cheadle
    • Mark Strong
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    92K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,797
    523
    • Director
      • John Michael McDonagh
    • Writer
      • John Michael McDonagh
    • Stars
      • Brendan Gleeson
      • Don Cheadle
      • Mark Strong
    • 186User reviews
    • 262Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 17 wins & 29 nominations total

    Videos12

    The Guard - International Trailer
    Trailer 1:34
    Watch The Guard - International Trailer
    The Guard - U.S. Trailer
    Trailer 2:18
    Watch The Guard - U.S. Trailer
    The Guard: A Sociopath Not A Psychopath (Uk)
    Clip 0:45
    Watch The Guard: A Sociopath Not A Psychopath (Uk)
    The Guard: Disney World
    Clip 1:09
    Watch The Guard: Disney World
    The Guard: Gaelic
    Clip 0:42
    Watch The Guard: Gaelic
    The Guard: It Hurts
    Clip 0:44
    Watch The Guard: It Hurts
    The Guard: Confessions & Cocaine (Uk)
    Clip 1:19
    Watch The Guard: Confessions & Cocaine (Uk)
    The Guard: Half A Billion (Uk)
    Clip 1:15
    Watch The Guard: Half A Billion (Uk)
    The Guard: Street Value
    Clip 1:13
    Watch The Guard: Street Value
    The Guard: Did You Grow Up In The Projects?
    Clip 1:10
    Watch The Guard: Did You Grow Up In The Projects?
    The Guard: Day Off
    Clip 1:10
    Watch The Guard: Day Off
    The Guard: Stealing An Ostrich (Uk)
    Clip 0:54
    Watch The Guard: Stealing An Ostrich (Uk)

    Photos56

    Brendan Gleeson, Dominique McElligott, and Sarah Greene in The Guard (2011)
    Brendan Gleeson in The Guard (2011)
    Brendan Gleeson in The Guard (2011)
    Brendan Gleeson in The Guard (2011)
    Brendan Gleeson and Dominique McElligott in The Guard (2011)
    Brendan Gleeson and Mícheál Óg Lane in The Guard (2011)
    Don Cheadle in The Guard (2011)
    Brendan Gleeson and Katarina Cas in The Guard (2011)
    Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, and David Wilmot in The Guard (2011)
    Dominique McElligott and Sarah Greene in The Guard (2011)
    Brendan Gleeson in The Guard (2011)
    Don Cheadle in The Guard (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Brendan Gleeson
    Brendan Gleeson
    • Gerry Boyle
    Don Cheadle
    Don Cheadle
    • FBI Agent Wendell Everett
    Mark Strong
    Mark Strong
    • Clive Cornell
    Ronan Collins
    • Young Man in Car
    Paraic Nialand
    • Young Man in Car
    John Patrick Beirne
    • Young Man in Car
    Liam O'Conghaile
    • Young Man in Car
    Christopher Kilmartin
    • Young Man in Car
    Rory Keenan
    Rory Keenan
    • Aidan McBride
    Declan Mannlen
    • James McCormick
    • (as Declan Mannion)
    Laurence Kinlan
    Laurence Kinlan
    • Photographer
    Mícheál Óg Lane
    Mícheál Óg Lane
    • Eugene Moloney
    Liam Cunningham
    Liam Cunningham
    • Francis Sheehy-Skeffington
    Owen Sharpe
    Owen Sharpe
    • Billy Devaney
    Fionnula Flanagan
    Fionnula Flanagan
    • Eileen Boyle
    Wale Ojo
    Wale Ojo
    • Doctor Oleyuwo
    Mark O'Halloran
    Mark O'Halloran
    • Garda No. 1
    Gary Lydon
    • Gerry Stanton
    • Director
      • John Michael McDonagh
    • Writer
      • John Michael McDonagh
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film's director and writer, John Michael McDonagh, is the brother of Martin McDonagh, who had directed Gleeson in the Oscar-winning Six Shooter (2004) and the critically acclaimed In Bruges (2008).
    • Goofs
      When swimming in the sea Gerry has no gloves and cold red hands. On emerging from the sea to greet Wendell he is wearing wet suit gloves.
    • Quotes

      Sergeant Gerry Boyle: There were gay lads in the IRA?

      Colum Hennessey: Mmm... one or two.

      [Shrugs]

      Colum Hennessey: It was the only way we could successfully infiltrate the MI5.

    • Connections
      Featured in Maltin on Movies: Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Rock Star
      Written by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo

      Performed by N.E.R.D.

    User reviews186

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    'I'm Irish. Racism is part of my culture.'
    Something there is that is charming about films set in Ireland with Irish characters speaking in beautiful brogue and THE GUARD fits into that category very comfortably. Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh this is a funny, fast-paced film that manages to poke fun at many points of bigotry (anti-American, racism, the gay lifestyle, etc) in a manner that keeps the comedy rolling. In many ways the film is comparable to the film IN BRUGES, if that helps the reader to categorize in a positive way.

    Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleason) is a small-town Irish cop in Western Ireland with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humor, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought straight-laced FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle, in a role that allows him to display his comedic gifts) to his door. Boyle's partner, a gay man Aidan McBride (Rory Keenan), the brunt of many of Boyle's jokes, is shot while making a traffic arrest by the drug smuggling gang (Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, Owen Sharpe, Michael Og Lane) which leaves the cantankerous Boyle to align with the American black FBI agent Everett to solve the case. What begins as a fiction filled alignment ends up as a touching friendship.

    McConagh's writing and direction are as fine as they come for films of this sort. It will be necessary for most viewers to turn on the subtitles to understand the brogue (the few Gaelic passages are not translated!). The cast, from the major roles to the minor ones (especially the extraordinarily beautiful Katarina Cas) including Laurence Kinlan and Fionnula Flanagan, is superb. This is a very fine comedy well worth the attention of a very wide audience!

    Grady Harp
    helpful•23
    2
    • gradyharp
    • May 31, 2012

    Top picks

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    FAQ1

    • Who composed the incidental music for the film?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 7, 2011 (Ireland)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Ireland
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Irish Gaelic
    • Also known as
      • Lực Lượng Cảnh Sát
    • Filming locations
      • Barna, County Galway, Ireland
    • Production companies
      • Reprisal Films
      • Element Pictures
      • Hindsight Media
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,360,274
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $76,834
      • Jul 31, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $19,561,904
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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