183. In Bruges

In Bruges (2008)

Director: Martin McDonagh

Starring: Colin Ferrell

Brenden Gleeson

Ralph Finnes

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 8.5

"Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me, but I didn't, so it doesn't."

After a fatal mishap during an assassination attempt, hit men Ken (Brenden Gleeson) and Ray (Colin Ferrell) are sent to Bruges by their boss Harry Waters (Ralph Finnes). Ray immediately finds Bruges to be boring, but history lover Ken encourages him to come along to see the sites. Early in their hideout, Ray meets drug dealer Chloe and the two embark on a very unique relationship. While Ken is given a troubling assignment from Harry while hiding out in Bruges. When things don't pan out how Harry wants, he must make a trip to Bruges to take matter into his own hands.

This film might sound like some ultra serious drama, but it's actually darkly hilarious. There are of course those serious moments in the film, especially with the final showdown on the streets of Bruges. Although, this film at the heart is a comedy, mind you a dark one, but a comedy none the less. Colin Ferrell brings a good majority of the humor to the film, in what is hands down my favorite of his performances. His comedic timing is perfect, proving why his Golden Globe for Best Actor was well deserved. Another great contributor to the comedic value of the film is Jordan Prentice who plays a foul mouth drug addicted dwarf.

As I have said in past posts, one of the keys for me to a great film is a solid screenplay. Writer and director Martin McDonagh brings forth both a clever and original script. It rarely falters in weaving together witty one liners and tragic moments. This film finds strength in it's script knowing what the appropriate line or event that is suitable for the moment. Also, the creative and almost poetic ending is the perfect final touch to such a great film.

Overall, I remember being pleasantly surprised by this film. This was my second viewing and it stands up just as well as it did the first time. It's not too complicated of a film, so it makes for an easy watch for a group of friends. While the Adam Sandler-esque comedies might have become outdated for some, films like In Bruges pave new roads for comedy. If you liked movies like Burn After Reading or Trainspotting you would greatly enjoy this film.