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The Guard (2011)

Trailer
1:33 | Trailer
An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is partnered with an up-tight F.B.I. agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 17 wins & 27 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ronan Collins Ronan Collins ... Young Man in Car
Paraic Nialand Paraic Nialand ... Young Man in Car
John Patrick Beirne John Patrick Beirne ... Young Man in Car
Liam O'Conghaile Liam O'Conghaile ... Young Man in Car
Christopher Kilmartin Christopher Kilmartin ... Young Man in Car
Brendan Gleeson ... Gerry Boyle
Rory Keenan ... Aidan McBride
Declan Mannlen Declan Mannlen ... James McCormick (as Declan Mannion)
Laurence Kinlan ... Photographer
Michael Og Lane Michael Og Lane ... Eugene Moloney (as Mícheál Óg Lane)
Liam Cunningham ... Francis Sheehy-Skeffington
Owen Sharpe ... Billy Devaney
Fionnula Flanagan ... Eileen Boyle
Wale Ojo Wale Ojo ... Doctor Oleyuwo
Don Cheadle ... FBI Agent Wendell Everett
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Storyline

Sergeant Gerry Boyle is a small-town Irish cop 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 to his door. Written by Element Pictures

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

The FBI are about to discover that things work a little different around here.

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The fourth collaboration of Irish actors Brendan Gleeson and Liam Cunningham. See more »

Goofs

The Irish Folk Band in the "Hooker Bar" scene plays a tune which is listed in the credits as "The Star of the County Down". This information is incorrect, though.

The tune itself got published in 1726 by Alexander Stuart in the book "Music for Allan Ramsay's Collection of Scots Songs" and was named "Gilderoy", only later (end of 19th century) did Cathal Mac Garvey write the lyrics for "The Star of the County Down", but other songs have been written to the tune also: "My Love Nell", "Divers and Lazarus", "The Murder of Maria Martin", "Mary from Blackwater Side", "When first I left old Ireland" all used the same melody.

Since the song was performed as an instrumental only, it is definitely wrong to credit it as "The Star of the County Down". See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Sergeant Gerry Boyle: [red car speeds past his speed trap, tires screech, car crashes]
Sergeant Gerry Boyle: [finds drugs in the pocket of dead teen] I don't think your mammy would be too pleased about that now.
Sergeant Gerry Boyle: [walks aside and swallows one of the pills] What a beautiful fuckin' day.
See more »

Connections

References Se7en (1995) See more »

Soundtracks

Rock Star
Written by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo
Performed by N.E.R.D.
See more »

User Reviews

 
Gleeson commands the screen from start to finish. Hilarious.
18 June 2011 | by markgormanSee all my reviews

Michael McDonagh is the brother of one of the funniest writers in the world just now. Like him, he is a foul mouthed upstart with a unique ability to investigate Irishness with tremendous energy and vividness.

I was lucky enough to attend the premiere in Edinburgh this week and enjoyed what is another great addition to the McDonagh canon of work.

Inevitably it has to be compared to the superior In Bruges but this is no lightweight cast off. Particularly when it one again focuses on a heavyweight performance by Irish heavyweight, Brendan Gleeson. In "In Bruges" Gleeson had to battle for compliments against Colin Farrell who has never performed better and had most of the best lines. Not here. This is all Gleeson, ably abetted by Don Cheadle as the Black FBI agent drafted in on the back of a glittering career to track down a bunch of slightly bungling drug runners in sleepy old Conemarra - Gleeson's patch.

Gleeson and Cheadle spar well and develop a likable relationship, despite this it's not the heart of the movie; that belongs, again, to Gleeson in a tour de force performance.

Cheadle's good and is a great foil. The baddies are less well developed characters and, for my taste, were slightly too caricaturised.

It's not a life changing film but it has to be seen for Gleeson's complete mastery of McDonagh's marvellous script.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official site | See more »

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English | Irish

Release Date:

23 September 2011 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

The Guard See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$76,834, 31 July 2011

Gross USA:

$5,360,274

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,561,904
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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