In Bruges

UK Release Date. 18 April 2008
Certification. 18
Running Time. 1 hour 47 mins
Director. Martin McDonagh
Cast. Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Anna Madeley, Clémence Poésy, Jordan Prentice.
Rating. 75%

Review.

In advance of Martin McDonagh's The Banshees Of Inisherin I revisited the highly talented playwright's, debut full-length feature, In Bruges. Whilst the film may appear to belong to the same lineage as The Long Good Friday, Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Sexy Beast, In Bruges is so much more than the 'traditional' British gangster film. There's an originality of thinking in a fairly straightforward premise. Two hitmen - Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and Ray (Colin Farrell) - are forced to lie low in Bruges. Simple as that.

 

It is easy to initially be drawn to the paternal Ken, rather than the insensitive and obnoxious Ray. Constantly bemoaning his plight, his petulant childlike behaviour and overt disinterest in culture is relentless.

Ray: "What's up there?"

Ken: "The view."

Ray: "The view of what? The view of down here? I can see that from down here."

Ken: "Ray, you are about the worst tourist in the whole world."

Ray: "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."

But once Ray's terrible secret is revealed, he becomes more vulnerable and perhaps deserving of the audience's sympathy? But this is the film's agonising quandary because none of the main protagonists - not even the enigmatic, if duplicitous Chloe (an alluring Clémence Poésy) - are deserving of our sympathy. However by the time of the film's conclusion, there is genuine affection and investment in the plight of the main characters. 

The writing is superb. As are the performances of Gleeson and Farrell. There is a natural chemistry between the actors. The characters are human, not infallible machines and beneath the brusque, foul-mouthed and unruly persona, Colin Farrell's sad, haunted eyes occasionally reveal a glimpse behind the curtain of bravado. This combined with a wonderful turn from Ralph Fiennes as Harry, channelling all of his inner Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) from Sexy Beast and Brick Top (Alan Ford) from Snatch.

There's a theatrical quality to much of In Bruges, particularly the character studies of Ken and Ray. Like a good stage play, character development is explored through dialogue as well as action. In this case, often acerbic dialogue.

The film concludes with a frantic final act and climactic confrontation. A highly-charged, heartwrenching climax is beautifully accompanied by the emotive On Raglan Road by The Dubliners. Seldom, have lyrics been so poignant and perfectly paired with the action, "And I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day."

Take your pick, In Bruges is witty, brutal, bizarre, inappropriate and touching in equal measure. But above all, it is a relationship and a tale of facing up to your demons. In Bruges.