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‘Horribly funny’: The Guard wins Guardian First Film award

Image: Element Pictures via TheGuard.ie

ONE OF THE most successful independently funded Irish films ever has won the Guardian First Film award.

The awards by the British newspaper are aimed at highlighting emerging talent which may not have received the recognition it deserves.

The film was directed by John Michael McDonagh and stars Brendan Gleeson who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Sergeant Gerry Boyle.

He plays a cynical member of the Gardaí in rural Ireland who takes on international drug dealers with the help of an FBI agent played by Don Cheadle.


YouTube: EPDistribution

The film is “originality and wit … horribly funny, deliciously incorrect, with an unexpectedly stirring, old-fashioned friendship between two lawmen” according to the Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw who was one of the judges of the awards, which are in their fourth year.

McDonagh was quoted as being “pretty surprised and very pleased” with the award.

The film beat Tyrannosaur, Submarine, and Attack the Block to win the category.

Read: The Guard takes out Bridesmaids

Read: Volta.ie hoping to promote indie and Irish movies

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Comments (17 Comments)

  • Bilbo Baggins 10/02/12 #
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    Well Deserved, Hilarious film, Very well acted by Gleeson and well put together!!

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  • Spillinksuz 10/02/12 #
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    I love Brendan…but this was a stupid movie!
    Sometimes I think we promote anything just because it is Irish.

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    • Rob 10/02/12 #
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      ah come on now! i’m not saying it was the greatest film ever but it was clever and funny and had a distinct irishness all at the same time! what more do you want??

    • Bilbo Baggins 10/02/12 #
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      I dont think its going to go down in the records for Best plot’s ever or stunning cinematogrpahy.
      But i have to say i haven’t laughed as much at a movie in a long time. Gleeson portrayed his character excellently.
      and the rest of the characters fit well to the story and i couldn’t particularly pick a bad performance.

      Maybe i found it so funny because it was so ‘Irish’ or it clicked with my sense of humour.
      But IMO it doesnt make it any less worthy of praise.
      Sometimes I think people can be a little more inclined to be negative because something is irish.
      (polar oppisite view to you i know)

    • graham murphy 10/02/12 #
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      sure it’s got alot of recognition, acclaim and is very popular abroad

    • Strongbow62 10/02/12 #
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      I have Dutch friends who know nothing about Gleeson and they messaged me as soon as they got out of the cinema to ask if I’d seen it and how funny it was.

  • James Gaffney 10/02/12 #
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    Great news about a great film. Razor-sharp black humour plus a murder scene filmed in the sitting room of holiday cottages I once stayed in.

    Though I did get a bit worried when an Irish-based Pakistani I know told me that he recommends all his friends back home to watch it if they want to learn what Ireland is really like!

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  • Mike Turner 10/02/12 #
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    Im very glad for the film. Went to cinema in Galway to support it. The place was packed! But besides a few funny bits, as a movie, its terribly written. The sub plots that make absolutely no sense at all. But Im happy it did well. Would love to see another like “I Went Down”. Its up there Christy Brown.
    Well done to them.

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  • Shanti Om 10/02/12 #
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    Glad to hear it, thought it was a great comedy, certainly a worthy rival to the old Roddy Doyle staples..

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  • Barry Lynch 10/02/12 #
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    This movie was a pile of crap.

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  • Ronan Mulhern 10/02/12 #
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    A good popcorn flick with some arty pretensions (philosophical gangsters!) but couldn’t touch Tyrannosaur with a bargepole.

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  • Gavin Tobin 10/02/12 #
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    Good film but “I went down” was better

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  • Daisy Chainsaw 10/02/12 #
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    Given the competition it was up against, this is a fantastic win for The Guard… which I loved!

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  • John O'Neill 10/02/12 #
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    The Guard 2. A story about a black American cop who transfers to a station in the west. Starring Barracks O’Bama.

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  • John M Walsh 10/02/12 #
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    I was in line at security in Narita Airport Japan, when the topic of conversation in front of me was about how much they enjoyed “The Guard”, this from a group of Japanese. It had international appeal and should be seen for what it is, a comedy drama. Certainly made me proud to be Irish!

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  • Report this comment

    Rubbish, boring film. Doesn’t deserve any award except maybe an award for crappiest ball of crap.

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