Others say...

""It's a fairytale town, isn't it? How's a fairytale town not somebody's (bleep)ing thing!?""
It's a really tough task to make a movie that can be both hysterically funny and tragically sad at the same time. Don't do it right and you can have yourself a movie that feels uneven and awkward. That is not the case with "In Bruges," which has to be my favorite film of 2008. This is a film where the characters and even the location are the real stars.

Ken and Ray are hit men who have to hide out in Bruges when a hit goes wrong and Ray ends up accidently killing a kid. Their boss, Harry, is none too happy with the end results and orders the two to hide out while he figures out what needs to be done. Laying low is not exactly the easiest thing for these two, seeing that Ken is completely taken away by Bruges and must sightsee. Ray, on the other hand, can't stand the bloody place and just about offends everybody who crosses paths with him--and let's not forget he has the most abnormal fascination with midgets. Ray also is feeling a lot of guilt and sadness over the poor little boy he accidently killed and has no idea if he can ever make things right again. All of this equals one vacation that they, nor you, will ever forget.

I cannot express how much I love this movie. It is weird to encounter a movie that has both equal elements of comedy and tragedy. Because of this, you must sit and watch it all the way through before you can come to a concrete conclusion about the film, and I also highly recommend seeing it more than once. My appreciation and love of the movie grows with each viewing. There are so many memorable lines and scenes that will sure enough make this a cult hit within good time.

As I mentioned before, the characters and location are the real stars rather than plot. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson make a great team and really convince you that they are in fact "Ray" and "Ken." And I cannot forget Ralph Fiennes who is both chilling and surprisingly even a bit sympathetic with his character. The movie is brilliantly written, shot and directed.

I have to add that the DVD looks GORGEOUS. I could've sworn that I was watching it on Blu-Ray. The DVD includes a couple of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

"In Bruges" was an amazing experience for me, and it's one that I'll never forget. I love it when films dare to be different and refuses to be something where you can predict everything that is going to happen frame-by-frame. There are surprises in this movie, yes, but nothing that happens in this movie happens without a reason. I really hope more people will check it out. It's destined to be a classic, or at least that's the way I see it. - Michael Crane

"Funny if you have that sense of humor"
I got recommended this by a friend - it passed me by.

The story is straightfoward enough and the movie is mostly about the interaction of Farrell & Gleeson's characters....with a few stings in the tale.

I must say I was very impressed by Farrell. Having only ever seen him in his Hollywood blockbuster stuff I had dismissed him, but he played this dark yet funny character. Ralph Fiennes was also brilliantly "manically funny". Heck Gleeson's good too - it's just that Farrell is a stand out.

It is a quirky type of humor - dark, sarcastic, lots of swearwords. There's only maybe a couple of real "laugh out loud" parts (the restaurant scene being my favorite!) but don't misconstrue that - there's plenty going on to keep you smiling. If that's your kind of thing - and as a Brit it is for me - I would thoroughly recommend this. And don't worry - you should be fine watching it without subtitles on!

A bit of a sleeper this one, but a gem.

"Dripping with satisfaction from every nook and cranny... "
In 2002 we met this up-and-coming actor named Colin Farrell as he stole scenes from the very charismatic Tom Cruise in the sci-fi thriller `Minority Report' (I know that his big break came in 2000 with `Tigerland', but that film did not bring any kind of household name status). The following year Farrell showed up in a slew of box-office big names like `S.W.A.T.', `Daredevil' and `The Recruit', and he showed surprising depth of character development in the underrated and underseen `Phone Booth'. It was 2004 though, that was to bring him into the big leagues; sort of. In 2004, at least in the beginning of the year, he was on the top of everyone's Oscar predictions for he was starring in two very controversial and highly anticipated films. There was the independent `A Home at the End of the World' and the Oliver Stone epic `Alexander. Sadly, both films failed, and while Farrell showed some strength in `Alexander' (I loathed his turn in `A Home at the End of the World') it wasn't nearly enough strength to stand out come Oscar time. Since that fateful year it seems as if Farrell's star has faded.

This brings us to 2008; to be more exact, it brings us to a whole new Farrell.

I had all but given up on Farrell as being a serious actor and actually utilizing the talent I saw in `Phone Booth' when I happened to stumble onto a series of reviews for this little film. I had read raves calling this Farrell's finest performance to date and so the fact that it was a gangster film (of sorts) and took place in Europe (with accompanying accents) and co-starred Ralph Fiennes all factored into me deciding to give it a shot.

Let me just say this now; one of the best films of the year, easily.

`In Bruges' tells the story of two hitmen, Ken and Ray. Ken is older and wiser than Ray. He possesses a certain calmness that comes from confidence and a level of comfort. Ray is young and green, which leads way to fleeting spells of panic and uncertainty. After Ray botches a job (his first at that) the two of them are sent away to a small medieval town (Bruges) to hide out, lay low, until they receive further orders from their boss Harry. While in Bruges the two of them go through levels of self discovery that help shape them into the men they truly desire to be.

Writer/director Martin McDonagh has marvelously crafted a film that both exciting and intelligent. It never sacrifices either for the other. The film is never boring, for it is filled to the brim with action and charisma. Both lead actors (Farrell and Gleeson) compliment one another flawlessly by playing two opposite ends of the spectrum. Gleeson embodies Ken with this paternal warmth that helps add layers of humanity to this contract killer, especially as the film progresses and his true relationship with Ray is revealed. Farrell ditches the paternal warmth for wit and charisma. His portrayal of Ray is so real and natural. We believe his faux performance (Ray's performance is faux; Farrell's performance is genuine). We understand the mask that Ray puts up to hide his own insecurities, and as his past is revealed and his motives are unveiled we crumble for him; and this is only made possible by Farrell's undeniably natural performance. Not one word spoken, not one movement made, not one moment of this performance is sour.

Honestly, so far it's the best performance I've seen this year; by anyone.

`In Bruges' tackles with grace and a fair amount of bloodshed the subjects of loyalty, friendship, morals and ultimately; atonement. This is proof that genre films of this nature (the whole gangster, murder, hitman type genre) don't have to be riddled with plot holes and littered with poor acting. `In Bruges' is brilliantly written and expertly executed. It is not only thought provoking and haunting, but it is witty, charming and quotable (this film is filled to the brim with memorable lines). The acting is marvelous (look also to Ralph Fiennes who has a nasty turn as Harry, as well as Clemence Poesy who serves as Farrell's love interest Chloe) and McDonagh's direction is spot on perfection, taking in the serenity of the city without losing the intensity of the situation. This is a hit on every level that will satisfy any and every film enthusiast.

"FUNNY, TOUCHING, AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING"
IN BRUGES is a very well acted, clever, often funny, and occasionally moving film about a pair of UK/Irish hitmen who have been sent to Bruges, Belgium, after a job goes bad. If you liked FARGO or other dark films with flashes of wit, you probably will like this one. By coincidence, I watched THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM during the same afternoon and would rate this film much, much higher.

Parts of IN BRUGES are genuinely thought-provoking and touching, especially where one hitman is trying to protect the other and where a brave pregnant woman puts herself in harm's way to stop a gunfight.

For the most part the plot holds together as well. My one objection is that a person who falls onto a stone pavement from a height of about 220 feet would NOT be able to speak immediately--even if he were still be conscious and still mentally focused (which I also think is very doubtful). I am not just guessing but am speaking from personal experience: way back when I was in third grade, I was thrown from only a height of 5 feet and slammed onto some grassy ground, which knocked my breath out of me so badly that I was unable to inhale any air, let alone speak, for what seemed like 2 or 3 minutes. On three other occasions I have had several of my ribs cracked by impacts, which has made speaking a bit difficult as well.

Be warned, though--this film has a trio of gangsters who not only do extreme violence but have world-class potty mouths. (One of the bonus features of the DVD, in fact, is a condensed run through the film with all the R-rated language laid end to end.)

"Martin McDonagh's indescribably brilliant creation deserves an Oscar nod"
It would be wonderful if this creation of writer/director's Martin McDonagh won an Oscar nomination. [There's talk.] It is almost indescribably brilliant. A dark, scathing almost-comedy but also a tragic drama, it simply defies easy categorization. You could see that in the ads (the breezy tagline "It's in Belgium!" is off-pitch). I think the marketers no doubt struggled with how to pitch this now instant classic. Someone did their job right though: Box Office Mojo tells me this small film raked in almost $32 million, over 75% in non-US receipts. I suspect it'll have a nice reward in DVD sales and rentals, too, as the word gets around. It's already lodged in IMDB's Top 250 (#233 as I write this review).

Beyond McDonagh, credit really belongs to the great cast. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are magic together. I liked Farrell saying (in the Extras on the DVD) that when he saw the script, he simply had to do it. It was that good. Kudos to Farrell for not simply going for the big bucks in mediocre offerings. He's shown that type of discipline before in the underrated Intermission and A Home At The End Of The World (Widescreen). Playboy image aside, Colin Farrell is a serious actor with an impressive body of work to his credit.

The actors in the supporting roles were equally sublime - this was my introduction to Clémence Poésy; Thekla Reuten makes Gleeson feel homey at her inn with her warm, beautiful presence; and Jordan Prentice is fabulous. His exchanges with Farrell are priceless.