Home > Movies > Movie Review > In Bruges

In Bruges

Colin Farrell...in a good movie?

By Geoff Berkshire

Metromix
February 8, 2008

Critic's Rating:

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Hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are sent on assignment to the Belgian city of Bruges (pronounced “broozh”) and engage in some comedic male bonding while awaiting further orders from their London-based boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes). Ken finds peace in the city and Ray romances a local (Clémence Poésy of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) to take his mind off nightmarish memories of a recent hit gone wrong, but they aren’t able to evade their violent reality for long.

Big question: Haven’t we seen enough hit man comedies already?

Catch it: This unconventional buddy comedy succeeds primarily on the charm and skill of its lead actors. Farrell hasn’t been this good in awhile and his loose, funny performance suggests he should try comedy more often. He even pulls off the impressive feat of turning talk of suicidal midgets into a credible pick-up line. Gleeson brings gravitas to his role and Fiennes’ late on screen arrival injects an ominous energy into the flick’s final act.

Skip it: If you’re on the Bruges tourism board. Ray isn’t afraid to share his disdain of the quaint tourist destination with lines like: “If I had grown up on a farm and was retarded, Bruges might impress me.”

Bottom line: Playwright-turned-director Martin McDonagh’s use of Bruges as a metaphor for purgatory, with Ken and Harry engaging in a battle for Ray’s soul, could use some subtler shading, and a subplot involving an American dwarf (Jordan Prentice) filming a pretentious European drama in Bruges never stops feeling awkward. But the film’s amusing dialogue, strong performances and unique setting help make up for the flaws.

Bonus: McDonagh previously directed Gleeson in the short film “Six Shooter,” which earned the 2006 Academy Award for best live-action short.

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