Review: In Bruges (2008)

I somehow missed this tasty little morsel of Belgian bittersweet when it was released early last year. Earlier this year, lead Colin Farrell was honored with a Golden Globe for best actor in a motion picture, Comedy or Musical. That's what got me interested in renting In Bruges, as I've enjoyed Farrell's performances in other movies like The Recruit and Phone Booth. When I saw that his costars were long time favorites Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes, I was pretty sure I'd enjoy this movie. Sure of the acting, anyway.

It wasn't long before I was surely enjoying the whole experience. You couldn't ask for a more attractive backdrop than Bruges, Belgium. Before long, I started wondering if this movie was partly funded by some Belgian tourist bureau. The script was full of lines like "best preserved medieval buildings in Europe" and included a detailed description of the rites of the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Either writer/director Martin McDonagh is a bigger fan of the city than his character Harry, or he had some Belgian assistance. All the touristy minutiae really did enhance the atmosphere of the movie and bring the city to life.

In Bruges' pace is leisurely. You have all the time you need to soak up both the beautifully framed sights of the city and the beautifully drawn characters of Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson). This pair of hit men, one with years of experience, one just off his first job, are holed up in a hotel awaiting instructions from their boss, Harry (Fiennes). The younger Ray can't stand the place, but Ken wants to take advantage of every sightseeing opportunity. Action picture fanatics will probably be turned off before the end of act one. Things really get moving in the last twenty minutes of the picture, but the rest of it is all about character and setting.

Even the minor supporting parts get a thorough treatment by the award-winning playwright McDonagh. From the pregnant owner of the hotel where Ray and Ken stay, to the eccentric ticket seller at the bell tower, there are almost no anonymous bit players in this story. There's also no wasted dialogue, and very little exposition. Every spoken word serves to flesh out a character, set up a scene, or foreshadow a future plot point. Every spoken word, that is, but one. According to the movie's IMDB trivia page, In Bruges has an average of 1.18 "f--ks" per minute. That's a lot of expletives, but what else should one expect from a couple of hit men and their boorish boss?

I won't go into the story at all, because it's too much fun to watch it unfold. The rating is a hard R--the movie is packed with harsh language and some brutal, bloody violence. Unless you prefer exploding helicopters, two-dimensional characters and non-stop jump cuts, you'll love In Bruges. You can take my f--king word for it.