|
MOVIE
REVIEW: IN BRUGES

02/07/08

SYNOPSIS:
In Bruges was filmed on location; Bruges (pronounced “broozh”),
the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of
Belgium , is a welcoming destination for travellers from all
over the world. But for hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken
(Brendan Gleeson), it could be their final destination; a
difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right
before Christmas by their London boss Harry (two-time
Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) to go and cool their
heels in the storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks.
Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture,
canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days
living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the
bloodshed in London , hates the place, while Ken, even as he
keeps a fatherly eye on Ray’s often profanely funny
exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the
beauty and serenity of the city.
But the longer they stay waiting for Harry’s call, the more
surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in
weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval
art, a dwarf American actor (Jordan Prentice) shooting a
European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential
romance for Ray in the form of Chloë (Clémence Poésy), who
may have some dark secrets of her own.
REVIEW: “If I'd grown up on a farm and was retarded,
Bruges might impress me, but I didn't, so it doesn't.” I
have to agree with you Ray (Colin Farrell) if you are
talking about the movie . . . oh no, wait, you’re talking
about the town. Actually Bruges, Belgium did impress me very
much, whereas In Bruges the movie, eh, not so much. Bruges
is a truly magical place keeping a firm grasp on history,
culture, and preservation. This medieval town is very
“Europe” and is the source of breathtaking cinematography
for this film. You can either appreciate it or not. Ray
doesn’t care much about it while Ken (Brendan Gleeson) seems
to be right at home. A good chunk of this movie is spent
establishing that fact which helps make the movie slow. The
storyline or concept of this film is actually pretty good,
but the development of the story or the way the story is
told is a little dragged out to the point of almost being
boring at certain moments. Luckily these moments are
countered with some high intensity scenes that seem to pop
up just to make sure you’re awake and paying attention. The
second half of the movie will grab you completely though as
the nice subtle twists and the sharp abrupt twists will keep
you guessing.
These two characters are some of the most nonchalant killers
I can recall; tormented but still nonchalant. Ray is
tormented from his first and only assignment gone wrong
while Ken is tormented by several years of experience. Their
normalcy is what you will find yourself relating to. There
is a human side to these guys. Their boss Harry (Ralph
Fiennes) is a little more severe, however, as evident by the
way he kills the phone in his office. The performances by
these three along with the supporting cast are really quite
commendable. Both Ralph and Brendan are admirable actors. I
saw Colin like I’ve never seen him before. He was very
emotional, fidgety, and unstable . . . okay, scratch fidgety
and unstable because he usually is, so he was very
emotional. His character struggled with the kind of guilt
that a hired killer might have. The dialogue was just as
sharp as the performances. It was witty, brief, and direct
and the accents were pretty cool too. Sometimes, however, I
had no idea what they were saying. You’ve got Irish,
English, Eastern European, American, and of course you’re in
Bruges, so yeah, open your ears wide. Oh and by the way,
there’s a bit of racial slurs in the movie that I thought
were mostly unnecessary. But hey, who am I to argue with
Oscar winning Writer/Director Martin McDonagh who seems to
know what he’s doing. Having won an Oscar for his first
major work, a short film called Six Shooter, and now
accomplishing this piece which even though might not be an
Oscar contender, you can definitely see his potential. This
is not your typical blockbuster action flick, but it is
pretty good for an independent film. I would call this an
independent, intellectual, comedic, action flick. Oh yeah, I
forgot to mention, the movie will make you laugh every now
and then. So if this interests you, you can find it in
Bruges.
Movie
Review By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
MORE MOVIE REVIEWS
>>>
People Movie Review
In Bruges
Alex Winters |
100 |
I thought this film was everything true
movie fans look for when they go to the
theaters. I for one was tired of seeing
the same old crap full of action and bad
comedy. Two hit men are hiding out in
Bruges (Belgium) after a job gone wrong.
The entire film follows these two hit
men, Raymond and Ken, as they experience
all that Bruges has to offer. First of
all, if you are a movie geek, you should
have already seen this flick. If not, go
as soon as possible. I'll say this to
the average
person: if you see this movie and don't
laugh once or get drawn into the plot
and likeable character development, I
will be impressed. You would have to try
your hardest not to burst out in
laughter.
Colin Farrell plays Raymond, the ametuer
hit man who screws up badly on a job. He
has to pay the penalty with the highest
price available: his life. I never
really cared for Farrell much as an
actor before this movie. I could never
take him seriously. But he sure proved
me wrong in this one. Whatever Raymond
was supposed to be feeling, he was
feeling. Not only this, but the
audience felt with him, which doesn't
happen all that often. I rate Farrell's
performance a 9 out of 10, only because
I felt at times he talked way too fast
and sometimes couldn't understand him.
Brenden Gleeson plays Ken, the pro hit
man who discovered Raymond, brought him
in, and showed him the ropes. If you
didn't like this character, you can get
the hell out of my face. Honestly, out
of all the movies I've seen (and you bet
your ass there were a lot), Ken is one
of the most likeable characters. It is
almost an impossibility to dislike him.
His love for scenery and beauty and
polite manners make him a nice,
sensitive guy. But when it comes to the
job, stay out of the way because he is
purely professional. I give Gleeson a 10
because it is not easy to make everyone
like your character and actually care
what happens to him.
Ralph Fiennes plays Harry Waters, the
boss who gives Ray and Ken the orders.
In my personal opinion this is the best
character. When you hear this guy talk,
you can't help but laugh your ass off.
His extensive amount of cussing brings
his character in strong. Though he is
only in the last half of the movie, he
grabs your attention the moment he
arrives in Bruges and doesn't let go
until the end credit sequence. This part
was superbly played by Fiennes, I give
him a 10+, if there's anything more,
give it to him.
I saw this flick 3 times and I will buy
it as soon as I see it on the shelves at
Best Buy. As a huge movie geek, I highly
recommend this film. I can almost
promise you, you will not walk out of
that theater disappointed. |
Submit Your Movie Review
|
Director: Martin McDonagh
Writer: Martin McDonagh
Genre: Action, Comedy
Duration: 1hr 47mins
Staring: Colin Farrell
Brendan Gleeson
Ralph Fiennes
Clemence Posey
Producer: Graham Broadbent
Peter Czernin
Distributor: FOCUS FEATURES
Rating: R for strong bloody violence,
pervasive language and some drug
use
Release Date: February 8, 2008
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
VIEW TRAILER
| |
Home |
DVD |
Advertising
|
Press Kits
submissions |
Publishing
All movie titles, pictures, etc... are
registered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective
holders
Copyright ©2007
The Entertainment Report Group
|