9am, and we find ourselves at Filmhouse waiting excitedly for The Guard to start. Except that we’re late, so barely have we sat down but a stream of abuse pours down. Lucky, it’s not because we’re annoying other reviewers, it’s the opening song from the film. 30 seconds later, a cellphone starts ringing (please answer it, it’s the thing that is glowing and making a hell-of-a-noise in your hand).
Finally we can settle, and it’s fun.
The Guard is a foul-mouthed black comedy that scoots along, Brendan Gleeson playing the drinking-whoring policeman, Don Cheadle as the FBI straight man and a story about drugs and murder. Rural Ireland doesn’t come across particularly nicely, but the film manages to take a jab at so many targets you simply can’t be offended.
Gleeson shines, Cheadle plays along as the offended but oddly amiable FBI, and a clutch of cartoonish bad-guys make for a good watch.
Perhaps not quite as sharp or witty as 2008′s In Bruges. A few of the lines feel corny, but they are delivered with such a natural sense of fun it hardly matters.
The Guard opens EIFF tomorrow night (Wednesday June 15th) at the Festival Theatre.