Read more: Irish film ‘The Guard' a Sundance Festival hit

Sony Picture Classics has bought American and Latin American rights to the Irish movie “The Guard” after it was widely praised at the Sundance Film Festival.

It  means a worldwide release for the film, which stars Brendan Gleeson as the title character.  It is directed by John Patrick McDonagh, brother of English/Irish playwright Martin.
“The Guard” opened the Sundance festival to rave reviews.

It tells the story of the arrival of an FBI agent, played by Don Cheadle, into a small Irish town and the disruption it causes in the life of the local sergeant played by Gleeson.

Trade daily “Variety” said Gleeson "owns the screen as a beer-swilling, crotch-grabbing, Derringer-firing crusader with one hell of a filthy mouth to go along with his heart of gold.”

The “Hollywood Reporter” said: "Scabrous, profane, violent, verbally adroit and very often hilarious, this twisted and exceptionally accomplished variation on the buddy-cop format is capped by a protean performance by Brendan Gleeson."

Read more: Irish film ‘The Guard' a Sundance Festival hit