THE GUARD - Irish Film Week at FOMO Cinema Tbilisi

Irish Film Week at FOMO brings together a week of films from across Ireland and Northern Ireland, moving between black comedy, music, political cinema, animation, cult classics and some of the defining independent films of the last thirty years. The program isn’t intended as a neat history lesson. It’s a snapshot of how strange, funny, dark, inventive and internationally influential Irish cinema has become. Expect familiar faces, lesser-known discoveries, strong accents, bad decisions, great music and a lot of Brendan Gleeson.

THE GUARD

John Michael McDonagh | 2011 | Ireland United Kingdom | 1h33m | Presented in the original English audio with English subtitles

THE GUARD follows Sergeant Gerry Boyle, a small-town Garda in the west of Ireland whose methods are unorthodox, his manners are terrible, and his interest in following procedure is fairly limited. Brendan Gleeson plays Boyle as a man who seems almost deliberately designed to irritate everyone around him. When an international drug-smuggling operation reaches Galway, he’s forced to work with FBI agent Wendell Everett, played by Don Cheadle, and the clash between them becomes the engine of the film.

John Michael McDonagh builds THE GUARD as a crime comedy that keeps shifting between deadpan conversation, sudden violence and increasingly absurd behaviour. Boyle is difficult to pin down. He can be rude, offensive and apparently careless, then unexpectedly perceptive a moment later. Don Cheadle gives the film the perfect counterweight, playing Everett as a professional trying to understand whether Boyle is incompetent, eccentric or simply operating according to a completely different set of rules.

I’ve included THE GUARD because it’s one of the easiest films in the week to recommend to almost anyone. If you like IN BRUGES, you’re going to find a lot to enjoy here. The connection isn’t accidental either: THE GUARD was written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, brother of Martin McDonagh, and both filmmakers share an obvious taste for black comedy, morally questionable characters and dialogue that can turn hostile very quickly. I’m also screening CALVARY earlier in the week, which lets us see John Michael McDonagh and Brendan Gleeson working together in two completely different registers.

THE GUARD became a major success on release and remains one of the most internationally recognised Irish comedies of the 2010s. Gleeson received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, while McDonagh received widespread recognition for his screenplay and feature directing debut. The film also became one of the highest-grossing independent Irish films at the Irish box office. It’s funny, rude, extremely quotable and I hope very good way to finish Irish Film Week.

FOOD AND DRINK POLICY: FOMO Cinema Lounge Bar opens 1 hour before the first screening of the day and closes at 02:00, serving a wide selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic refreshments, as well as fresh hot popcorn! Outside food is allowed in the bar but not in the cinema. No alcohol from outside allowed. All guests are invited to arrive early and stay late!

LOCATION: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.

HOW TO FIND FOMO: Enter Bazari Orbeliani via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left to Level 1. Signage on the door. You can also check our Instagram story highlights for a video showing exactly how to find us: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTMzMTA2Mjk0MDI5MjM1