The Last Movie I Saw

I think that The Guard might be the most purely entertaining movie I've seen in a long time. All the elements clicked, contributing to a full package that combined action, comedy and drama in a most original narrative. It's a story about a member of the provincial guard who represents the law in some small coastal town in eastern Ireland. His district is so remote, that it attracts the attention of a gang of drug smugglers who think they can operate there without detection. But the provincial cop is more canny than they suspect, in fact more canny than his superiors or colleagues suspect. Brendan Gleeson plays the lead with a sly goofiness, which disarms the audience as much as his adversaries in the film. Don Cheadle makes a great foil, playing an American FBI agent collaborating in the effort to nab the bad guys. Director John Michael McDonagh employs a visual style that reminds me of Bill Forsyth's early effort That Sinking Feeling, which also shares a thematic link with this film: that moral lines are often subject to negotiation. What makes these movies special is that they don't allow their main characters to drift too far over the line. Gleeson's character is no anti-hero, just a guy who refuses to allow what others think to inhibit his own actions, either personal or professional. Recognizing that corruption touches on everything, he's able to shrug it off when the effects are inconsequential or even beneficial, but becomes duly enraged when something important is at stake. The movie is the opposite of preachy, but in the end manages to make a statement about the importance of doing the right thing, and that combination is rare. Check it out if you get the chance.