I've recently seen Seven Psychopaths at the flicks based purely on the critical acclaim given to Martin McDonagh's first film but was rather disappointed. Still, I was curious enough after it to check out In Bruges and was delighted to find a film that is near about perfect - a comic gem with a deliciously dark heart.
Ray and Ken (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) are two mismatched hitmen hiding out in the Belgian city after a hit goes disasterously wrong in London, resulting in Ray accidentally shooting a young boy. Waiting for a phone call from boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) the pair sightsee aimlessly, Ken enjoying the medieval culture while Ray goes stir crazy, calling Bruges 'a shithole' while getting drunk and involved with Chloe (Clemence Posey), a girl working on a film which stars a dwarf called Jimmy. The hitmen slowly become friends, the older Ken trying to mentor Ray who is suicidal after killing the child. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when Ken recieves a call from Harry ordering him to kill Ray. Can the older man shoot him and, if not, what will Harry do?
The above precis hardly sounds like a laugh riot but McDonagh's ear for dialogue means that In Bruges sings. It's a script that any actor would kill for and Farrell, Gleeson and Fiennes have never been better. Farrell especially is astonishing, turning in a performance that rightly shows us that Ray is an uneducated and uncultured idiot while making him wholly sympathetic and funny as hell. The scenes where Ken is trying to explain to Ray the story behind some sights while the younger stares into the distance bored stiff or fidgets uncontrollably are a delight as are Farrell's rants about Bruges and Americans (in one scene he insults a man in a restaurant and then punches him and his wife, only to find out later they are Canadian!). McDonagh also gives us a supporting cast of quirky characters, from the arrogant American midget to gun supplier Uri (who is obsessed with the word 'alcoves'). As in Seven Psychopaths, McDonagh cannot write women and Posey gets the short straw, being mostly just there as eye candy.
For a film that is almost deliberatley theatrical, In Bruges is also surprisingly touching. The moment when Ken sneaks up on Ray to shoot him only to them stop the young man from shooting himself is absurd but then leads to the older man making a choice he knows will lead to his death. It is Ken's quiet nobility and honour that underpins the film, leading to a fantastic scene between Ken and Harry high in Bruges' tower where Ken defuses the irate mobster with sheer honesty and love. Fiennes as Harry is a revelation - a shouty, swearing nutjob who still has his own moral code (which makes up the film's devilishly witty final grace note). He's terrifying and hysterical all at the same time and the final scenes of Ray and Harry negotiating how to shoot each other so that they avoid shooting the hotel owners like two kids arranging a game is an utter joy. Finally, Bruges, a 'shothole' to Ray but a fairytale come to life for Harry (he sent the two there so Ray would have a final treat) is a star in its own right, its medieval facades and turrets giving the film's themes an almost Shakespearian air. In Bruges is a delight of a film - highly recommended.
GK Rating: ***** The Blog of Delights
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