“Good to go,” an Irish drug smuggler remarks as the plan comes together for a big delivery. His English colleague derisively remarks, “I f**king hate that. Americanisms. ‘Good to go’!” It’s hard not to read small moments like this as a bit of self-reference on the part of John Michael McDonagh, as the film takes every opportunity to reflect on the Irish fascination and digestion of American pop culture, as contrasted against the somewhat unique national character. Sparkling with witty dialogue and packed with sharply-observed commentaries on Ireland and its relationship with our bigger Atlantic cousin, The Guard is a clever little film that is well worth your time.
Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: brendan gleeson, buddy cop film, buddy film, comedy, don cheadle, Eddie Rockets, Federal Bureau of Investigation, films, Fionnula Flanagan, Ireland, irish cinema, john mcdonagh, liam cunningham, mark strong, Movies, non-review review, review, the guard, United States | 17 Comments »


















