Review of In Bruges (2008) by James W — 13 Dec 2013

Personally I prefer comedy that aims for big laughs, offers shocking set pieces where characters get into awkward situations performed by big ensemble casts. In Bruges is the total opposite but bloody hell it's funny. Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell can say anything and it's funny, even simple lines like "turn the fucking light off" will make you chuckle.

Two hit men are asked to lay low by their aggressive crime boss in Belgium, Bruges. Ken is very content and happy to sight see and explore the history of the city, whereas Ray wants excitement and adventure, so he sets off and finds adventure in the form of dwarves, prostitutes, excessive drinking and a film crew. From a technical point of view, In Bruges is very well shot, it's picturesque and well thought out, and the calming piano soundtrack works well with all dialogue scenes and even simple tracking shots of the city. There's a lot of banter, mumbling, insulting, arguing and clashing opinions, sometimes it gets exhausting altogether but there's no denying that Farrell and Gleeson are a dynamite duo, and sticking their two different personalities together makes for some cracking comedy.

Considering the two characters are hit men, there is a lot of regret and suffering, whereas most movie hit men just get over their kills and live on, and I like that difference, it's refreshing. There are also some shocking moments, where he kills the priest and child the tone switches instantly, which is good showing that this movie isn't just aiming for laughs but aims to make us think. When writer Martin McDonagh does go for laughs his writing is sharp and extremely witty, you'll notice it most when Ray has the argument about the smoking section and the Vietnamese with another diner ending up in a punch-up.

I'm glad I watched In Bruges, almost four years since my first viewing and it's still very entertaining, albeit a bit slow but always smart and superbly acted. Next up for me to watch is McDonagh's latest dark comedy Seven Psychopaths, let's see if that holds up to this one, or even surpass it.