London Film Award Nomination John Michael McDonagh: '[on The Guard] If signs point to a mismatched-buddy cop movie, well, that's sort of what you get, but nothing in this sly, wry little movie is quite what it appears. Even the racism turns out to be part of a larger take on Ireland's insularity, eroding identity and inexorable Americanisation – the latter of which adds a self-aware edge to the unlikely crime proceedings.'

The Guardian: “If signs point to a mismatched-buddy cop movie, well, that's sort of what you get, but nothing in this sly, wry little movie is quite what it appears. Even the racism turns out to be part of a larger take on Ireland's insularity, eroding identity and inexorable Americanisation – the latter of which adds a self-aware edge to the unlikely crime proceedings.”

Buddy cop movies are a dime a dozen, and parodies of Buddy cop movies are just as popular. The Guard is something quite different, although it retains the recognised formula, it focuses so heavily on the characters (rather than the grand scheme of things) that the experience feels wholly fresh, a new look at the comedy pairing. And what a pairing; it's a credit to Don Cheadle that his performance isn't completely suffocated by Brendan Gleeson, who has people crying out for an Oscar nod. It would be well deserved, Gleeson shines in a role he was made for (even more so than In Bruges) but it's the writing that elevates The Guard to one of the best films of 2011.

You might say John Michael McDonagh has a lot to live up to, given the talent of his brother Martin, who made the hugely enjoyable In Bruges. But  John has bigger fish to fry, he's not proving he's as good as his brother, he's getting his own back on British cinema. Bitter and frustrated by the flaccid generic films he's seeing made again and again, McDonagh wants The Guard to be something new, something fresh. And it's telling that audiences have responded so well to it, and to Gleeson's character, someone who probably wouldn't develop out of a scriptwriting workshop. John Michael McDonagh has directed something quite remarkable - a dark, witty comedy, with incredibly strong performances, that doesn't pull it's punches or cop out.

Photo Jonathan Hession