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Directed By
Martin McDonagh
Written By:
Martin McDonagh
Cast:
Ralph Fiennes, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Robbie Kay, Theo Stevenson, Mark Donovan, Jordan Prentice, Ciaran Hinds, Jeremie Renier, Jérémie Renier, Thekla Reuten, Hannah Murray, Eric Godon, Rudy Blomme, Susan Ateh, Emily Thorling, Clémence Poésy, Thekla Reuten, Ann Elsley, Pieter Loosveldt
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In Bruges (2008)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
February 14th, 2008
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'In Bruges' is the best film I have seen so far this year. It does just about everything right and watching it made me look back at Cassandra's Dream with newfound disappointment. Woody Allen could have easily made that movie like this, but did not, and the task fell to Martin McDonagh, who won an Oscar for his short feature Six Shooter, which starred Brendan Gleeson, and the two have been reunited here. McDonagh proves to be a supremely talented director and writer, and he creates a crime story that always remains engaging and unpredictable, that manages to expertly balance elements of dark comedy, drama and surprisingly effective suspense, and it never loses its stride; it is made with confidence and intelligence. Farrell and Gleeson play Ray and Ken, two hitmen who kill a priest in London and then are sent to the city of Bruges in Belgium, presumably to lay low for a while until things cool down. Ray hooks up with a film production assistant named Chloe (Clemence Ploesy) while Ken takes in the sights and treats himself to what he initially believes is a well-deserved vacation.
However, Ken's downtime is rudely interrupted by his humorless boss Harry (Fiennes) who has a new assignment for him, one that he may find very difficult to carry out. Ray meanwhile is consumed by guilt; he accidentally murdered a child during his mission in London. This is conveyed very convincingly and helps to define Ray not as a villain or even a particularly bad person, while he is a paid assassin, he is not without humanity, and the taking of an innocent life weighs heavily on his conscience, to the point where he might not be able to continue his work. Ken is more experienced, and also comes across as a patient and caring individual, and what he is asked to do by Harry leads to a conflict between his personal feelings and his duty to be loyal and follow orders without asking many questions. Both of these men are complicated and interesting, and are fleshed out quite thoroughly, so we can see their depth and internal complexities.
Farrell is marvelous; this is his best performance in a long time. Gleeson, who is good in just about anything, is spot-on in his depiction of Ken. And the chemistry between them is exquisite; we completely buy the notion that they are partners who respect and trust one another. Ploesy provides solid support as Chloe, who actually has a lot of substance and is not just relegated to the backburner as a token love interest. Ralph Fiennes is simply brilliant, and Harry could share some of the same personality traits as Amon Goeth, though he is not a completely heartless or psychopathic monster. If anything, he is a cold-hearted professional who realizes that a choice always has to be made, however unfortunate, especially resolve an impossible situation.
The cinematography by Eigil Bryld showcases the picturesque beauty of Bruges, which is a breathtaking fusion of the old and the new, lovely historic architecture and cobblestone streets interspersed with distinctly modern trappings. Bruges looks very inviting, the kind of place most anybody would want to visit; never does it appear as unwholesome or unappealing as London or other European cities have in recent films like Sweeney Todd. Of course, that was the London of the Victorian era, quite different from the London of today. Overall, a terrific film.
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