In Bruges (2008)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Martin McDonagh

Writer:

Martin McDonagh (written by)

Release Date:

29 February 2008 (Poland)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Shoot first. Sightsee later.

Plot:

Holed up in Bruges, Belgium after a difficult job, two hit men begin to differ on their views of life and death as they become used to local customs.

Plot Keywords:

Medieval | Belgium | Christmas | Tourist | Drugs

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 13 wins & 30 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 16

2:30 AM

HBO

Cast

Elizabeth Berrington	...	Natalie
Rudy Blomme	...	Ticket Seller
Olivier Bonjour	...	Film Director
Mark Donovan	...	Overweight Man
Ann Elsley	...	Overweight Woman #2
Colin Farrell	...	Ray
Jean-Marc Favorin	...	Policeman
Ralph Fiennes	...	Harry
Brendan Gleeson	...	Ken
Eric Godon	...	Yuri
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Canadian Guy
Sachi Kimura	...	Imamoto
Anna Madeley	...	Denise
Louis Nummy	...	Harry's child #3
Clémence Poésy	...	Chloe

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

UK:18 | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | USA:R (certificate #43954) | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | South Africa:16LV | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Australia:MA | Austria:14 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Chile:14 | Mexico:C | Sweden:15 (TV rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:16 (theatrical rating) | France:U (with warning) | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Brugge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Company:

Blueprint Pictures

Trivia:

In order to create the feeling of the holiday season, Christmas decorations were kept in some streets of Bruges until the end of March. The town council made an official communication to the people of Bruges explaining the reason why.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ray is preparing for his date with Chloe and is checking himself in the mirror, he is trying to decide whether to leave his top button open or button it. He decides to button it, then turns to Ken for approval and the camera cuts to a different angle. You can see in his reflection in the mirror that his top button is open. When he faces the mirror again and the screen cuts back, it is buttoned again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ray: After I killed him, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter the instructions came through - "Get the fuck out of London, you dumb fucks. Get to Bruges." I didn't even know where Bruges fucking was.
[pause]
Ray: It's in Belgium.

Movie Connections:

References "Fantasy Island" (1978)

Soundtrack:

Touch Of Evil

Atonement and Existentialism In Bruges

A European film through and through, showing its deep theatrical roots, "In Bruges" works on may levels, and is a fine night at the cinema.

The film follows the denouement of a "job" gone bad for two Irish hit men, who are forced to hole up in Bruges, Belgium, and really can't stand the inactivity. The forced waiting, a symbolic purgatory in both assassins' struggle for absolution, gives Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell a chance to act through some marvelous comic dialogue.

The film itself looks like it was filmed in an area of the old city of Bruges that is no more than a 500 square metre radius. It doesn't matter, because the film is a character study more than anything, and like all good theatre, the character interplay allows the audience to forget the confined spaces.

Ralph Fiennes comes into the film late basically stealing Ben Kingsley's character from "Sexy Beast". This has to be an absolutely deliberate choice, so can't really be criticized. The writing is so good that Fiennes can have real fun with it. All the actors do, as a matter of fact.

I have been deeply suspicious of Colin Farrell's ability to read a script in the past. His choices of projects in the past has been spotty. Not this time: his acting ability is brought to the fore by director and screenwriter Martin McDonagh. Farrell gives a very strong performance as a morally challenged hit-man.

Brendan Gleeson has been around forever, and is a renowned character actor. You may remember him from "Braveheart" as Hamish Campbell, Mel Gibson's loyal adjutant. He is able to completely bury himself in this part. Colin Farrell has the capacity to reach these heights as well, and in fact, in this film, shows many of the mannerisms and intensity of Russell Crowe (whom I consider to be the best actor on the planet).

I appreciated the comedy and satire working hand in hand with the moral complexity of the characters' inner struggles. It makes for a very satisfying film, one that is much more than entertainment. When you consider what the budget was in comparison to many Hollywood films, "In Bruges" serves as a reminder that it is the script and the quality of the direction that makes a film. Why Hollywood thinks they can just throw money into a project and expect people to come to the cinema is beyond me.