Let me start by saying that In Bruges is the best film of 2008 so far. At least, from the batch of films I've seen from the past four months, this dark picture easily takes the lead. If you know what I've seen, it isn't hard. In Bruges certainly doesn't achieve this accolade by default; rather, its achievements are many, coming across as both a black comedy and a very human drama.Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as two hitmen, Ray and Ken, that travel to Bruges for reasons unknown. Something bad happened back home, and the boys are taking a much needed vacation on the orders of their boss, Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes. The events that unfold from the opening to closing credits depend solely on the actions of each character, all three driven by their own distinguishable ethics and morals.
From the moment Fiennes is introduced fairly late on, he portrays the mob boss with a visceral ferocity, but it's Farrell, and in particular the on form Gleeson, that entertain most with the ease in which they play off one another. In travelling through Bruges, they adopt a father and son relationship that never feels false; Farrell constantly retreating to a worried, huddled sit-down on the nearest bench, or nipping off to the pub at the most impromptu time, whilst Gleeson does the 'old man' schtick of savouring the sights of Bruges.
Bruges looks spectacular, and acts as a remarkably colourful backdrop to the film, but it's the equally colourful characters that really drive it towards its conclusion. They feel authentic, as if acting on their own voice instead of a script. It's great that Farrell got this role, one that he seems comfortable in portraying. I'm not the biggest Colin Farrell film, but In Bruges does well to showcase the talent I believe he does possess; a far greater role than those he played in The New World and Miami Vice, despite both these films being significantly stronger than In Bruges.
Not content with letting Bruges be our eye candy, McDonagh lays on some striking musical pieces to accompany some of the film's more darker glimpses, fusing well with the images to create some truly tense, gripping moments. It is a dark film, no matter how the poster may mislead you; the marketing campaign seems to have gone for the all-out comedy approach, but there's a lot of grit beneath the surface of the film, especially once we hear Fienne's voice for the first time, thus realising the implications. That's not to say In Bruges is without its funny moments; it's littered with as much swear words and midget jokes to satisfy those that did admittedly show up for a few shameless laughs. Placing it in the comedy genre, however, does not do its merits justice, nor does calling it a British gangster movie. We're not on Guy Ritchie levels of superficiality here.
There is a recurring theme throughout In Bruges of the child, as first evidenced in the father/son exchanges between Ray and Ken. Without spoiling how this theme carries on into the remainder of the movie, I'll just say that it had me second-guessing the actions, motives if you will, of particular characters in the final minutes. While what happened completely took me by surprise, in the end I couldn't quite work out whether McDonagh had completely missed a shining thematic opportunity, or if the characters themselves had ran purely on their ethics (perhaps blindly), as I alluded to before. Either way, it still works; the final act of In Bruges easily supersedes the previous ninety or so minutes, utilising gorgeous visuals and haunting musical scores for maximum effect, an excellent execution.
Fock'n see it.
***
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