By now, most film fanatics have discovered the works of playwright turned film maker Martin McDonagh, starting with the 2004 short film Six Shooter (it earned him an Oscar), he then went full length with 2008’s In Bruges (it quickly became an acclaimed cult classic), next heading Stateside with the rather violent 2012 comedy Seven Psychopaths (again, garnering much praise), only for his fourth, and to date, final effort, 2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, to earn multiple Academy Award nominations (including two wins. . . while many believed it should have won Best Picture as well). While we wait for his still untitled next feature (which is currently in pre-production), perhaps some of you have yet to discover his very talented brother, John Michael McDonagh. Today, I’ll introduce you to the short film that started it all, as well as the full length feature that blossomed out of it.
The Second Death, his first film, an eleven minute short released back in 2000, is full of brooding rumination about past, present, and murky future. James Mangan (Liam Cunningham), walking alone at night, thinks he hears and sees a haunting voice and young presence. Making it to the pub, he wallows in his memories whilst throwing back a few pints, bartender Aisling (Michelle Fairley) slightly concerned as she continues with her business.
In the background, two pool players (Aiden Gillen and Owen Sharpe) enjoy some snooker, while a younger and older man (David Wilmot and Dermot Healy) play an intense game of chess. As all these people go about their lives (there is quite a bit going on in this little bar), Mangan contemplates his existence, wondering if he is doomed.
With a thick, eerie atmosphere, intriguingly, by today’s standards, you would almost think this is the beginning of a Game of Thrones joke – ‘The Onion Knight, Littlefinger and Catelyn Stark walk into a bar’, which is a pretty cool thing to see, but this also reminds us of the fact these have been quality actors for decades. Capturing the melancholy of a man with a tragic past, each character, be it top billed Cunningham or the supporters, bring their personas to life, adding reality and detail to a piece that feels bigger than a mere eleven minutes (and those final seconds bring with it a haunting conclusion).
Featuring clever nods, some atmospheric similarities, as well as a few of the same actors, The Guard (2011) shares a certain cosmic reality with its predecessor (though it’s nowhere near as gloomy). Following Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson), he is like a small town sheriff with an edge (there is a clear old west mentality to the picture – including some music motifs. . . this whole score by Calexico is excellent). Big on alcohol, drugs and prostitutes, he has that certain type of Irish humour where it’s hard to tell whether it comes from a straight faced clown or deep rooted melancholic depression. Blunt, questionably racist (though according to him, “I’m Irish. Racism is part of my culture”), and a bit aloof, this rather noisome facade never truly holds firm. . . for just beneath it, there is a kind, caring individual (hints can be seen with a drifter boy who constantly seems to be biking around the countryside). Perhaps some of this hard edge comes from the fact his mother, Eileen (Fionnula Flanagan), is not doing very well, health wise.
With a new partner, Aidan McBride (Rory Keenan), the much younger officer from Dublin has just happened to arrive in the rural County Galway the day an unexpected, almost occultish murder has been discovered. Setting in motion a most complicated drug case, serious and straight laced FBI Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) arrives to establish a coordinated effort to halt a half billion dollar (yes, that’s five hundred million) cocaine deal from happening. Those pulling the strings are boss Francis Sheehy-Skeffington (Liam Cunningham); sociopath Liam O’Leary (David Wilmot) – just to be clear, he is not a psychopath; and lone Brit, Clive Cornell (Mark Strong).
As all roads seem to lead to Galway (I personally thought that was always Rome), Agent Everett finds himself in an unusual sort of partnership with Sergeant Boyle. . . a man who he can’t figure out – or, in his own words, “You know, I can’t tell if you’re really motherfuckin’ dumb, or really motherfuckin’ smart”. With dirty cops, bribes, disappearing individuals, and unbelievable amounts of cocaine meandering through this small community, these two very different individuals will be in tough.
An eccentric, and at times rather black buddy comedy, like his brother Martin’s work, you start to pick up a trend when you watch Irish cinema – duty, melancholy, a balance between surprising and fateful inevitability, with an overarching quirky comedy that domes the entire narrative. And while these crime movies are usually set in what feels like reality, there almost seems to be a folkloric (or mythical) essence to them. . . in this case, it comes off as a tale from the wild west.
A fascinating, contemplative, and mesmeric crime comedy that is highly quotable and riffs on stereotypes, The Guard should put you on guard for the works of Martin Michael McDonagh (saying that, look for a review of another one of his films coming soon here on Filmizon). With a thoughtful conclusion, it gives us pause as we once again consider our main character and his eccentric ways. . . in fact, there are not many loose ends in this script (nearly everything comes back into play in clever and often unexpected ways). Lastly, it’s also worth noting that there is some excellent writing revolving around both references to cinema and literature. . . again, another cheeky skill both McDonagh brothers seem to share. So, pair these two Irish movies together for your next movie night, there’s no doubt they’ll swim, not sink.