I have personally never heard of the fairy tale like town in Belgium called Bruges (pronounced “broozhâ€Â). Seeing the movie title “In Bruges†meant nothing to me as it probably won’t to most of the audience. Keeping an open mind, I entered the theater not knowing what to make of this strange title. Well, much to my delight I was pleasantly surprised that “In Bruges†was an extremely good movie. Writer and Director Martin McDonagh really created a sharp and witty action film that has comedic elements and great characters. I don’t hand out top honors to movies very often, but “In Bruges†earned them.
Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and Ray (Colin Farrell) are hit men who recently finished off a tough assignment are told to lay low in Bruges, Belgium by their boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes). While in the tiny story book town, Ken and Ray adapt to the local customs and have a chance to think about their lives and their profession. Along the way, they meet a local, Chloe (Clernence Poesey). Ken and Ray await Harry’s call for their next assignment. Once Harry makes the call, the calm stay in Bruges turns into a life and death struggle for both men.
Often times when a movie tries to mix violence and comedy the two mix like oil and water. One example of a movie that mixes the two is “Lethal Weaponâ€Â, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Even in the darkest of times, the duo seems to get a laugh breaking the tension. McDonagh brings that same element into “In Bruges†and combines the violence with very good dialogue creating a winner.
Ken and Ray’s interaction is really the gem of this film. Ray is the ying and Ken is the yang. Ray is the brash member of the pair constantly turning off his inner dialogue and speaking his mind not even thinking about the consequences. Ray offends just about everyone he meets with the exception of Chloe. Colin Farrell delivers an excellent performance as Ray who is a new hit man with some serious issues. Ray also has the attention span of a fifth grader, and cannot stand being in Bruges. Conversely, Ken is the father like figure who is careful and intellectually superior to Ray. Ken appreciates the medieval town, including the cobblestone streets, canals, and alcoves that are everywhere in Bruges. Brendan Gleeson plays the straight man in the duo extremely well.
Ralph Fiennes plays the psychotic gangster boss Harry who lives by a code of honor and trades some great lines with Ken as the drama unfolds. Fiennes just adds another facet to the jewel called “In Brugesâ€Â.
Visually, “In Bruges†is picturesque. I want to visit the town after seeing the middle age buildings and the plethora of beautiful churches and shops. Also, by setting the movie in a small town one gets the feeling that the characters are on their own little island with the rest of the world being non-existent.
The story is so compelling that I really did not want the movie to come to an end. I wanted to enter the world of Ken, Ray and Harry and be holed up in Bruges with the crew. McDonagh created complex characters that grab the audience and make you really care about what happens to Ken and Ray. I really could not wait to see what would come out of Ray’s mouth next and how Ken would react to it. McDonagh creates a masterpiece with this group of characters.
Cast & Crew:
Genre: Action, Comedy
Starring: Clemence Poesy, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Thekla Reuten,
Director: Martin McDonagh
Producer: Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin
Distributor: Focus Features
Writer: Martin McDonagh
Verdict: Even though this one is released early in the year, it will be a factor when the 2008 awards roll around. I highly recommend seeing “In Bruges†and just sit back and get ready for a wild ride.
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Tags: Brendan Gleeson, Clemence Poesy, Colin Farrell, In Bruges - English Movie Review, Ralph Fiennes, Thekla Reuten | Filed in Hollywood
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