directed by Martin McDonagh
For years I was told how delightful and interesting In Bruges was, and yet I waited until tonight to view it for the first time. IMDB has it holding onto 8/10 stars and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 82% fresh rating (at the time of this review). So I took the bait and almost immediately, as I watched the “Focus Features” logo “bubble-up” on screen, I sat back in awe and said “Of course.” Because my hat goes off to everything FF gets involved in. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost In Translation, Brokeback Mountain, The Pianist, Milk, Dallas Buyers Club, and multiple other fantastic, award-winning films were distributed by them, and they remain a symbol of quality films when your movie begins.
So riding on that saddle of quality, In Bruges tells the Shakespearean-style tale of two UK hitmen as they wait in Bruges, Belgium, for their boss’ advisement after one the hitmen accidentally murders a young boy during his first job. Wrought with guilt, this hitman, Ray (played by Colin Farrell), has to come to grips with his poor judgement during the hit and decide how or if he will continue to be a hitman, especially after his boss contacts them both and reveals his displeasure in men who kill children.
Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clémence Poésy, and Jordan Prentice star in this Martin McDonagh film. Brenden Gleeson plays Ken, Ray’s hitman partner in the trade, with amazing ease and beautiful agony through to the end. Ralph Fiennes plays the hard-as-nails employer of these hitmen (Harry) whose principles can never be broken. Fiennes does an amazing job as well, as does Clémence Poésy who plays Chloe, the production assitant to a Dutch film being shot in Bruges. Her beauty overcomes Ray during the beginning of his ordeal, and despite having a tragic set of illegal side jobs with miscreant ex-boyfriends checking her every step, Ray continues to regard her as the fairy-esque symbol of hope in this described “fairytale setting of Bruges.” Jordan Prentice is the midget…ahem…dwarf, American movie star of the Dutch film shooting in Bruges who crosses paths with Ray and Chloe multiple times, leading into great discussions for the film such as his belief that there will be a great war between the whites and blacks of the world and which nationalities will side with whom. (Great memorable scene)
The movie keeps you guessing what the next steps will be for each of these characters since they are all strong characters with individual traits that guides them. Ken is a smart, loyal hitman who still has emotional understanding of where Ray can end up, not necessarily as a hitman for life as he has been. Chloe is damaged but can attract whomever, which could be a handicap for Ray as he tries to remain under the eyes of the law and others. Ray is stubborn, bored with Bruges and looking for mischief even while contemplating what to do next. And Harry…Harry wants blood for the child who died, but he makes amazing compromises with dark, humorous tones that keep you wondering what lengths his convictions go and where his reasonable appreciation of another’s future might hold him back.
The soundtrack was a flurry of contemplative yet energetic piano scores, which picked up in intensity towards the end which featured full-bodied orchestral pieces. During a particularly daring piece of acting, Ken has to grab the attention of Ray as we hear the haunting Irish song “On Raglan Road” play. That song deals with the hurt that could be caused if the narrator developed a relationship with the love interest in the poem/song, but he chooses to anyway. In the same sense, Ken has to put himself in harm’s way to get Ray’s attention, but it is worth it to Ken.
For a crime drama, this had an original flow and setting that I wouldn’t expect from a hitmen-on-the-run movie. It felt like this was an American-script trying to point out Euro-ideals and mannerisms towards Americans more than a UK script might fuss over, but it was humorous to witness Ray lambast touring, fat Americans with insults and assume that the “personal-space-victims” in the restaurant (who complained about Chloe blowing smoke in their direction) were American (when they actually were Canadian tourists). There was also a confusing amount of Vietnamese references and random references to other cultures and places to get sent to. Not sure what all that was about, but it padded the script about as well as jokes about other cultures go over in stand up comedy clubs.
In the end, the movie keeps you guessing and entertained, and it reminded me a bit of Carlito’s Way. There are plenty of moments where you can just accept these characters fighting each other without cheering for either one because they all have a bad side to their characters so they’re not exactly “likeable” or even “anti-heroes.” As previously mentioned, Bruges was supposed to represent a fairytale land to Harry, but it was nothing but a shithole to Ray, which is interesting to watch as one ends their future in their personal paradise as the other can’t believe the hell that Bruges has become.
Definitely worth a watch, and a rewatch wouldn’t be out of the question within a few months. Superb acting, original flow and setting, and overall, it’s a great movie to pass some time with.
8/10 inanimate fucking objects
You Watched What? 
I also put this one off until I finally watched it by a couple of weeks ago. The dialogue had me laughing like a crazy person even though I was watching it alone in the middle of the night. That surely is a sign of a good movie. I did not really understand that Ken was grabbing Ray’s attention during that scene you mentioned, but it makes sense, so thanks for adding that level of meaning for me.