In Bruges
By Matthew Rodgers
Martin McDonagh’s film is an odd little crime caper that is also a rarity amongst the saturated genre of “cockernee” gangster movies in the fact that it actually finds that target and perhaps more surprisingly has a genuinely effecting performance from that “next-best-thing-that-never-was” Colin Farrell.
The plot is a copy and paste robbery from Sexy Beast, a film that it shares many a comparison without reaching the heights of that contemporary classic, and tells the tale of two re-assigned assassins deployed to the Grimm fairytale Vistas of Bruges with little more than just time to kill. Ray (Farrell) is the fidgety headstrong hitman with a dark secret that puts him and partner Ken (Brendan Gleeson – 28 Days Later) in the line of sight of head honcho Harry (Ralph Fiennes) in a ludicrously madcap tale of midget monologues “it’s not that R2-D2 fella” and cobbled street shoot-outs.
Ignoring the obvious unoriginality of In Bruges leads you straight to the 3 reasons for forking out your fiver to see it; the impeccable cast. Brendan Gleeson is empathically likeable as the world weary elder at the end of his career, given very little backstory it’s down to his slouched sad-sack appeal and witty patter to make Ken shine. Fiennes does a second-rate Ben Kingsley but still makes Harry a psychotic joy that spouts more F-words than the entire Jackie Brown script. However, it’s the roguish Farrell who evokes memories of his breakout Tigerland performance with an outlandishly funny turn centring the movie when it threatens to become a little bit too “oddball” with the plot mechanisms.
Said plot devices include a coke fuelled spat with a “small person” actor, a low-key dining room brawl and a hilariously polite final showdown that has Ray and Harry beginning their bumbling chase on the count of three.
Problematically In Bruges is a certified boys own movie that at times feels geared towards the fast fading lads-mag culture (if it even exists anymore?) of foul language and garish quick-fix entertainment, the lack of a strong female role only exemplifies this.
Not the Lock Stock comedy jaunt that the trailer would have you believe but a blackly comic buddy movie with sombre melancholic undertones and a great return to form for Colin Farrell.
