Saturday, July 12, 2008

In Bruges Review

Hype:  I really know absolutely nothing about the movie In Bruges.  Well that's not exactly true, I do know it stars Colin Farrell and it has gotten really good reviews.  The plot has something to do with hitman, not exactly sure how though.  I am a little hesitant about this film though because of Colin.  At one point Colin was one of my favorite actors.  Why?  I have no idea, his movies have never really been that great.  That's why when I saw this movie get some good reviews, I was shocked.  I never thought Colin would be in a well received film.  Let's see if this movie lives up to the reviews I have seen.

Initial Review:  In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.  Colin character, Ray, has killed a little boy and he and his partner, Ken, played by Brendan, are in Bruges hiding.  They must wait in a hotel room until their boss calls them and gives them their next instructions.  Ray absolutely hates being in Bruges, but Ken wants to sightsee and explore the historical elements.  Ray's view of Bruges changes when he sees Chloe, a local drug dealer.  As time passes Ray begins to fall for Chloe and starts to enjoy his time in Bruges.  Soon Ken gets the phone call from their boss Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes.  Harry instructs end up setting off a punch of crazy events with the locals in Bruge.  The locals include Chloe's crazy ex-boyfriend, the hotel manager, tourists and a dwarf actor.

In Bruges was really a joy to watch.  It reminded me a lot of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.  It was funny and dark at the same time.  I was expecting a serious drama about the lives of hitman, instead it was surprisingly funny.  It was really good to see Colin in this role.  He usually plays this touch macho man, but in this movie he is a man that is trouble by the events of killing a little boy.  You can really see and feel how this event has changed his life and wants to forget about it.  I enjoyed seeing the more human, emotional side of Colin, I hope this is a sign of the things to come from him.  Then you have Brendan Gleeson, whom I have only seen in a couple movies, and his character is almost the complete opposite of Colin's character.  He understands that things happen when being a hitman and that they should just enjoy their time in Bruges.  I felt that Colin and Brendan really worked well together, they seemed to have a lot of chemistry when they shared the same scenes.

If you like movies that are funny, but not slapstick funny, and dark at times, In Bruges is a film that you will enjoy.  The comedy strikes at the right moments and knows when to stop.  Colin Farrell is absolutely a joy to watch and shows he can be a good actor.  In Bruges is a movie that I highly recommend.  It's not a movie that got a lot of publicity when it came out, I don't even think it came out to a theater where I live, but it deserves all the praise the critics have given it.  In Bruges should be put high on your Netflix list, you will enjoy every minute of it.

No comments: