This movie was recommended by Terri Jacobs. Thanks Terri!
In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes. When it first came out, I remember seeing Mr. Farrell on Letterman promoting it and talking about how much he enjoyed the experience.
The question is however, is the movie any good?
Let's review!
Story/Dialogue: The story follows Ray and his mentor Ken as they hide out in Bruges for two weeks after an assassination. While Ken embraces the almost fairytale-esque atmosphere, Ray regards the place with utter distaste. Throughout their visit, Ray falls for Chloe, a young drug dealer who doubles as a production assistant, fights her ex boyfriend Eirik and makes friends with a drug abusing racist little person named Jimmy. He throws himself into all of this as a way to cope with the fact that he accidentally shot a little boy during the assassination.
The story here alone was enough to draw me in, but the way it progresses and shows why Ray's so angry throughout the film shifts the tone rather drastically, especially during the funnier scenes. I found Ray to be another likeable asshole in film (I think I might have to do a list for my YouTube channel). Getting in and out of trouble while talking about what other people would perceive as utter nonsense leaves you laughing and not being sure why. But those more dramatic scenes contrast so heavily that in a lot of ways, they feel out of place. As they add more to the story, though, it adds context and have reason for being.
The dialogue was fantastic, with the banter between Ray and the people he interacts with making you laugh. Furthermore, there are instances where you find yourself laughing and going, "Is this how real assassins behave?!" There's one scene where two assassins are in a standoff with a pregnant hotel owner in between them. They sit and talk while the owner is sitting there, "If you're not going to shoot someone, F&*K OFF!" It was brilliant. Broke the tension appropriately.
Cinematography: In Bruges captures a lot of the city's beauty, with sweeping establishing shots and tight framing. Using a movie set to make use of night shots was a really great idea. The parts where they're on something doesn't really look as though they're on anything, but the banter makes up for that. It was interesting seeing how things were framed. There were moments where Ray and Ken are framed right in the middle and it doesn't feel boring to look at, which I found fascinating, but never worked out why.
Audio: The music varied from classical to almost having a real gypsy vibe going on. While it fit the movie well, it wasn't overly memorable and I couldn't find myself buying the Original Soundtrack.
Overall: In Bruges was an unexpected surprise. I found it compelling with likeable characters and a tragic backstory. In a lot of ways, it was like a fairytale, but the ending left you feeling as though you were waking up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would happily watch it again.
5 Stars.
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