Review of In Bruges (2008) by Diego T — 08 Jul 2013

THIS IS A MASTERPIECE.

The two greatest cult films of all time (in my opinion) are The Big Lebowski and this, In Bruges, an incredibly well-acted, ingeniously plotted, and fantastically written film that I cannot fucking recommend enough. It is spellbinding. But I'm on a rant right now, so let's go through this tour de force of film step by step.

In Bruges is the story of a hitman named Ray (Colin Farrell) who, while carrying out his first hit, accidentally shoots a little boy in the head. His boss Harry (Ralph Feinnes) sends him to the quaint little fairytale town of Bruges (it's in Belgium) with Ken (Brendan Gleeson), a fellow hitman. This simple and elegant premise lays the groundwork for the best and most realistic dialogue ever put on film, and I mean that literally-- Everyone acts just how you would expect them to in this film.

First we have Ray, played to the fucking HILT by Farrell, whose complex persona totally makes the film. "I killed a little boy, Ken!" This one accident makes it clear to him that he really isn't cut out to be a hitman, and he goes into a downward spiral of tourist-punching, cocaine-snorting, and eventually suicidal despair. It's an amazing thing to watch. Farrell's facial expressions are utterly befitting to the character. I still have no idea how he does that thing with his eyebrows.

Then we have Ken, who is just as complex as Ray, but doesn't happen to have a suicidal pall hanging over him. After arriving in Bruges (SPOILER ALERT), he is told by Harry to kill Ray, and is about to go through with it-- but stops him from killing himself instead. It's whimsical and amazing. Everybody wants Ray dead, including Ray himself, but somehow he is the only one who manages to make it through the film. And by the way, Ken's death is on my list of Most Unexpected Movie Deaths.

Harry is frightening and consistently pissed off, but that makes him almost a comic relief. Besides coining the unforgettable phrase "YOU'RE AN INANIMATE FUCKING OBJECT!!!", he also brings a strange persona to the table. Yes, he's a mob boss (of some kind, it's never specified... and never necessary), but he also appreciates quaint little towns, and believes that anyone who kills a little boy should die.

It's tragic, profound, and fucking funny as fuck. A few scenes stand out as the best-scripted: In one, Harry has left a phone message with the woman who runs Ken's hotel, and she delivers it to him. Characteristically, it is filled with Henry's endless swear words. Ken tries to articulate an apology. Here's how it goes:

"I'm sorry about that message, the man who left it, he's... well... he's a bit of a...".

"A cock?".

"Yes, he's a bit of a cock.".

Just little things like that make this movie cross the line between funny and ingenious. He doesn't want to use anything that could remotely be construed as a swear word around this woman, but she goes ahead and fills in the blanks for him. It's great shit.

But then again, you really can't read stuff like this on a screen and get the full depth of it-- you have to fucking see the movie, complete with Oscar-level acting and elaborate production design. Altogether an incredible feat of a film that blends tragedy and comedy to create the greatest black comedy of the 21st century. Prepare to be blown away like a midget in a courtyard (Spoilers! Oops).