00s Movie Review - In Bruges

Director: Martin McDonagh
Genre: Comedy/ Crime/ Action
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Clémence Poésy, Thekla Reuten

Description: Guilt-stricken after a job gone wrong, hitman Ray (Colin Farrell) and his partner (Brendan Gleeson) await orders from their ruthless boss (Ralph Fiennes) in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.

Review: The movie starts confusing. A hit gone wrong, we overhear a phone conversation, the person in question has to hide in Bruges. We hear an Irish accents, IRA maybe? What kind of movies is it going to be? And medieval Bruges doesn’t look like the setting for a gangster movie. Then the dialogue between leading characters Ray and Ken starts. Like Vincent and Jules from “Pulp Fiction” they talk a lot and nothing seems to happen. Until Ray meets a girl and Ken gets a phone call from their boss Harry.
In the story that follows, the pieces of the puzzle fall in its place. Why they are in Bruges, what happened and what is going to happen. That build-up at the start seems perfect now, because we understand the characters and their motives. The way to the climax is long and the characters are important for the decisions they will make.
That’s how you build the tension and this is how a movie’s credibility stays up. Martin McDonagh, who directs but also wrote the script, takes us on a winding road. The power of the film is the well written script. But also the cast. Especially Colin Farrell is challenged, for doing something he isn’t used to doing. Farrell’s character is developed and has depth. His best role so far. And Ralph Fiennes is great as boss Harry. With his cockney accent he portrays one of the most hilarious villains, without ever getting ridiculous or forgetting that he is a serious villain.
It’s a special gangster film, on a wonderful location, great cast and a very well written script. It’s not a happy film, but there is enough humor to it. It’s a surprising, lively movie.

Rating: 5/ 5