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In Bruges

Director: Martin Mcdonagh
Actors: Elizabeth Berrington, Rudy Blomme, Olivier Bonjour, Mark Donovan, Ann Elsley
Studio: NBC Universal
Category: Movie

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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

104 reviews
Sales Rank: 4182

Genre: Action
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 108 Minutes

ASIN: B001D23BFK

Theatrical Release Date: February 8, 2008
Release Date: November 4, 2008

Synopsis:

Colin Farrell and Academy Award-nominee Ralph Fiennes star in this edgy, action-packed comedy, filled with thrilling chases, spectacular shoot-outs and an explosive ending you won't want to miss! Hit men Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson, Harry Potter) have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life & death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss (Fiennes)! Get ready for the outrageous and unpredictable fun you will have In Bruges, the movie critics are calling, "wildly entertaining- Stephen Rebello, Playboy.

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Customer Reviews: Read 99 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Hell must be spending the rest of eternity in Bruges (ok, and yes, purgatory must be Tottenham) July 20, 2008
H. Schneider (wechselhaft)
27 out of 31 found this review helpful

Another delightful little British black gangster comedy. Think of: Sexy Biest (w Ben KIngsley). Snatch (w Brad Pitt, Benicio dT ...). Layer Cake (w David Craig). These guys have figured it out. Usually high class actors (here R.Fiennes, who is much more convincing as a bad guy than otherwise, and the quite capable Colin F., who had been a bit overrated for a while, but he really is quite talented).
A basically simple plot (a hit man has screwed up, causing collateral damage; the boss needs to remove him, orders the partner to get it done, which turns out a problem...) runs into obstacles because the protagonists develop unexpected attitudes. Slapstick with guns.
(Disclaimer: let me add that the headline is not my opinion, but a quote from Colin Farrell's character Ray, who thinks that Bruges is a s-hole; I fully disagree with that crass opinion, Bruges is as nice a place as you are likely to find in the whole of Belgium. On Tottenham I am not an expert.)

5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely brilliant dark dramedy July 4, 2008
Devyn Quinn (Texas)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

How to describe this deceptively simple film is the hardest place to begin. The plot's fairly simple: Two Irish hit-men, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), are sent to Bruges (in Belgium) to wait out the consequences of an assassination gone terribly awry.

The younger of the two, Ray, is bored and angtsy with the whole place. He's got a guilty conscience, having been the bloke who totally screwed up the hit. Ken, older and more sanguine about the whole matter, is the total opposite. He's enjoying the sights and quiet cadence of the city, seeing it as a brief respite from what he knows is a powder keg about to blow up in both their faces.

Without giving away key plot points (all brilliantly revealed as the beginning of the end begins to play out toward its tragic conclusion), all I can say is WOW! Though I have never been a huge Colin Farrell fan, I found the actor to be an absolute revelation. The man can actually act, excellently conveying Ray's guilty conscience with a manic, twitchy angst that practically sets the screen on fire. When Ray's mistake is finally revealed in all its heartbreaking glory, Farrell manages to portray Ray's guilt and attempt at redemption in a scene that awes as well as chills the viewer. This is definitely an Oscar caliber performance, and one would hope the actor will continue to make such smart choices in future roles. The fact that Farrell gets to use his actual Irish accent is definitely a plus for the character. His Ray is a charming, annoying, childish, totally screwed up nut about to crack.

Gleeson, too, is equally convincing in his quiet, calm portrayal. His Ken, world weary and tried of the whole business of death, nevertheless knows he's got to pull back his shoulders and soldier on--even if it means he has to face the bad end of a gun himself from mob boss, Harry (an excellent Ralph Feinnes channeling an evil more vicious than even Lord Voldemort). Harry's riff on the Uzi he is offered by a gun supplier is hilarious, as is Ray's in run with a racist dwarf, among others as he ambles through Bruges seeking a solace neither drink nor drugs, or even a pretty girl, can offer.

The end for these three men is tragic, but totally fitting. I thoroughly enjoyed In Bruges and watched it several times just to soak in the early subtle clues leading up to Ray's mental meltdown. I admit that I had to watch the film with English subtitles on as I couldn't understand the actor's thick accents, but that wasn't any distraction or detriment.

5 out of 5 stars

From the ashes of disaster... July 7, 2008
Keith Zabalaoui (Texas)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I have to come down on the side of those who love this movie. Yes, there is violence, there is racism, there is drug use, and there is LANGUAGE, but honestly, these guys are not Smurfs. They're hired killers for cryin' out loud.

Two assassins are hiding out in Bruges on the orders of of their boss. They've just killed a priest and quite by accident have also killed a young boy in prayer. That scene is brief and shocking, but is 100% required for the rest of the movie to make sense. So they're hiding in Bruges, waiting for the boss to call. And they start to wonder, why Bruges? The answer is surprising on a couple of levels and is typical of what makes this movie different from the rest.

The older assassin is able to spend his time savoring Bruges and coming to love it. The younger one never will and seems to enjoy finding new ways to insult the medieval town.

And then the call comes and then the boss comes and all hell breaks loose. But even then, the movie has style and a humanity that sets it apart from the rest. The ending can be described in one word - Fellini. Except it's completely understandable.

As I said, I really liked this film. The language was appropriate to the characters, the violence was necessary for the story, and the comedy was dark and funny. But do keep in mind that it is British and British comedy is not for everyone. Fortunately, I was reared on it.

5 out of 5 stars

It's a fairytale town, isn't it? How's a fairytale town not somebody's f***ing thing?- Harry August 26, 2008
Cherise Everhard (Michigan, USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

Two hit men, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are on a sort of makeshift holiday in Bruges, Belgium after a hit gone wrong. While awaiting word from their boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), Ken is interested in sightseeing and the history of the place, while Ray couldn't be more unimpressed and can't wait to escape.

After hearing so many wonderful things about this film I was absolutely prepared to be let down. Movies rarely live up to the hype for me, but I am happy to say this one did and then some.

In Bruges had me laughing out loud, hard and repeatedly, as the political incorrectness and the way Ray and Ken play off each other is hilarious. It had me sobbing big ugly girly tears as the emotion that pours from Ray, his guilt, his sadness, is absolutely palpable and heartbreaking. This movie had me gasping at the violence, on the edge of my seat and on an emotional roller coaster from one minute to the next. It was great.

The performances are grand by all three main characters and the supporting cast lends equally wonderful and interesting performances. I found this to be a multi-dimensional and complex film filled with irony, humor, action and sadness. I was really stunned at the power behind Colin Farrell's performance. He goes from a sort of spazzy, funny, slightly inept and combustible sidekick to a sensitive, deeply tortured soul in about 2 seconds and every facet of his character is believable and brilliant.

In Bruges is one of those quotable films with a billion awesome one-liners and moments. This is easily one of my favorite movies this year and definitely upon my list of all time favorites. I loved every fricken minute of it.

5+ stars

Cherise Everhard, August 2008

5 out of 5 stars

Actor Colin Farrell, Writer Martin McDonagh August 4, 2008
John F. Rooney
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson turn in truly remarkable performances as two hit men on the lam in Bruges, Belgium, of all places. Colin Farrell's Ray is none too bright, comical, guilt-ridden, immature, and he suffers from a hair-triggered hot temper. As he clownishly mugs his way through the early part of the movie, pouting and sulking like the kid he is, his face becomes a rubbery map of his utter disdain for the cultural beauties of Bruges while his thick black eyebrows dance up and down mirroring his mood changes. By shooting a blank in a man's eye, he starts a chain of inevitable events that lead to tragedy.
Gleeson's Ken, sensitive, bright, also funny, falls in love with the architectural charm of the Medieval city. For brief moments it's a Laurel and Hardy romp between the two men. There are stunning shots of the city throughout the movie. Why is Ken chaperoning Ray anyway? Early on touristy Ken is on top of a tower. With his hand he makes an imaginary gun and pops one off on the cloddish Ray down at street level.
Hilarious is the scene in which three obese American tourists ask Colin about going up in the tower. He ends up being chased by the father and dancing around him. His brilliance is evident throughout the movie as he plays a character akin to the one he played in "Cassandra's Dream."
Ray falls for a girl who is part of a movie company filming in Bruges, a company that includes a dwarf, a character that becomes crucial to the plot. Rays says, "They're filming midgets." Drugs, sex, and jealousy are introduced, and Ray's fateful journey proceeds a few more paces into inevitability like a Greek tragedy that cannot end until all is settled.
Late in the movie Ralph Fiennes turns in a great performance as a manic, rabid killer-boss.
The movie was written and directed by Martin McDonagh. For those familiar with his plays on Broadway and elsewhere ("The Lieutenant of Inishmore, "The Pillowman," "The Cripple of Inishmaan"), they will know to expect theater of the absurd inane dialogue, wild swings between the comic and the violent, lots of blood and gore, black comedy, and brilliant story set-ups and plotting.
I watched the DVD in widescreen (not bad), but I turned on the English subtitles because Farrell's Irish brogue defies quick comprehension by the uninitiated. This is a masterful movie, but be aware it's violent and bloody. But awfully funny too. Black comedy, anyone?
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