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In Bruges
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell
Genre:
Comedy/Drama
Run Time: 107
min.
Release Date:
February 2008
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
How do you make the story
of a hitman who accidentally blew a hole through a child’s head funny
and light? It ain’t easy, but IN BRUGE does it on several levels.
You definitely have to have a main character who can pull off something
both dramatic and comedic. And that someone is Colin Farrell (MIAMI
VICE), a killer who finds he’s having trouble living with
the accidental death of child who got in the way of a bullet.
Then you have to have a great co-star, and he turns out to be Brendan
Gleeson (KINGDOM OF HEAVEN). Gleeson has been a favorite star of mine
since his American portrayal of Sheriff Keough in LAKE PLACID. His
combination of dramatic chops mixed with witty line delivery made him
the perfect choice for this role.
You’ve also gotta have some sort of tryst going on, and there’s actually
several of those. The primary is that of Ray (Collin Farrell) and Chloë
(Clémence Poésy). Their brutal honesty with each other makes for some
interesting mental sparring between the two and has some of the lighter
moments within this otherwise dark dramedy. The other is that between
Ken (Gleeson) and pregnant Belgium hotel owner Marie (Thekla Reuten).
Ken’s distant manner opens up to Marie during certain film segments, and
Marie’s stunning good looks and prideful appearance make her a person to
be reckoned with. Another mini-tryst comes thanks to a film being
produced “In Bruges” where one of its stars named Jimmy (midget Jordan
Prentice) is out to have a good time with whatever women he can find (or
drugs).
Normally location wouldn’t necessarily play that important of a role in
a movie like this that is truly a character study of dark people who are
also genuinely decent in many ways. But Bruges, Belgium is important.
After Ray (Farrell) accidentally kills the small boy, he and Ken (Gleeson)
are told to “get out of town and head to Bruges.” For Ken, it’s like a
vacation; the stunning buildings and peaceful waterways put Ken in
laid-back mode. But Ray is tense, on edge, and sincerely depressed at
his accidental shooting of the small boy. The two clash as soon as they
reach Bruges, and their differences are mirrored in the landscape around
them: swans, steeples, guns, and prostitutes.
There’s also a comparative study going on between a famous painting of
Hell in Bruges, Belgium (that Ken and Ray check out), to that of the
movie being filmed in town by Jimmy (Prentice) and that of the
experience Ken and Ray find while visiting this quaint, Belgian
community. I won’t say more for fear of giving away too much.
The final bonus for movie watchers is checking out Ralph Fiennes (THE
CONSTANT GARDNER) as the overly-scrupulous death dealer Harry Waters.
He’s a family man with a mob-boss mentality who must head to Bruges
himself in order to set things right. And once he’s there things really
heat up! Bullets fly. Bodies fall from tall buildings with resounding
splats! And he finds himself the victim of his own moral code in the
end. Nicely played.
A warning should probably be given to those who are squeamish or don’t
care for the overuse of foul language. Both play out significantly in
the film, but they are also integral to the characters and the life
they’ve chosen. But you can’t say I didn’t warn you (the R rating is
definitely deserved).
What’s more interesting to me now, though, is that I would love to see
Bruges in person. The extra features on the DVD include a boat trip
through the canals of Bruges and point out incredible spots of interest.
An added bonus, for sure. I just hope I don’t see any cloaked midgets or
men with silencers running around.
(back to top) |
Image from In Bruges
DVD cost: $19.99
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The word 'fuck' and its
derivatives are said 126 times in this 107-minute film, an average of
1.18 'fucks' per minute.
Movie Quote: "There's
a Christmas tree somewhere in London with a bunch of presents underneath
it that'll never be opened. And I thought, if I survive all of this, I'd
go to that house, apologize to the mother there, and accept whatever
punishment she chose for me. Prison...death...didn't matter. Because at
least in prison and at least in death, you know, I wouldn't be in fuckin'
Bruges. But then, like a flash, it came to me. And I realized, fuck man,
maybe that's what hell is: the entire rest of eternity spent in fuckin'
Bruges. And I really really hoped I wouldn't die."
Other Actors/Actresses
from In Bruges
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