Gerald Wright's Movie Coverage
IN BRUGES
Directed/Written by: Martin McDonagh
Running time: 107 minutes
Release date: February 8, 2008
Genre: Crime Drama and Comedy
Distributor: Focus Features
MPAA Rating: R
In Writer/Director Martin Mc Donagh's directorial debut feature film, he raises the question as to whether hitmen can be sensitive. Well, in this crime drama laced with dark comedy, the answer is yes.
In this creative narrative, the backdrop is the medieval city of Bruges, Belgium where two hitmen must take refuge. This trip to Bruges was originally supposed to be a vacation away from their murder business in London. Back in London, rookie hitman Ray (Colin Farrell) muffed a job by accidentally killing a young boy. The murder of a young boy is a violation in the code of honor in assassinations, if indeed there is such a thing.
This mistake caused the sensitive Ray and his cordially mannered older partner Ken (Brendan Gleeson) to be ordered out of town (London) to Bruges by their crime boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes). This so-called vacation to the beautiful old city of Bruges turns out to be an interesting place for Ray and Ken to visit. The mysterious canals, cobbled streets and gold trimmed gothic architecture is a tourist's delight. In Bruges, the depressed Ray finds romance in a drug selling beauty named Chloe (Clemence Posey). The cast of characters in Bruges also includes Jimmy (Jordan Prentice) a dwarf actor from the U.S., Dutch prostitutes and an angry Canadian couple (Zeljko Ivanek and Stephanie Carey).
Ken soon receives a call from Harry instructing him to kill Ray for the accidental murder of the boy in London. Ken, however, doesn't have the heart to kill the suicidal Ray. It turns out that both men have problems with the morals of their job. In Bruges, at times, confuses the motives of the men, but that is part of the charm in this dark comedy.
The story broadens and gets more involved as this lovely city exposes its subculture of drugs and violence. Ralph Fiennes enters the film as a "kill-crazed" crime boss whose deranged code of ethics requires him to make sure Ray is killed. This plot point really brings out the best work in this solid cast. As the dramatic scenes heighten and the action picks up its pace, so do the comedic proportions.
Farrell, Gleeson and Fiennes respectively, are exceptional actors who have entertained audiences worldwide. Irishman Colin Farrell's recent work includes Cassandra's Dream and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Dublin-born Brendan Gleeson's work includes two Harry Potter films The Order of the Phoenix and The Goblet of Fire. England born and Ireland raise Ralph Fiennes' great performances are in The English Patient and Schindler's List.
In Bruges is a well crafted film, that gives more than I expected.
FILM RATING (B)
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