Morality, violence, character acting, what more can you ask for?

Rating: 9/10 (5 July 2008)

In Bruges was one of those movies you could see becoming great from a distance. The trailer definitely showed promise and the cast and concept seemed good. A while went and I forgot about it, but then it suddenly movie popped up again, so of course I went to see it.
Not really sure what to expect other than Colin Farell, and old guy and Ralph Fiennes interacting in the bizarre location of Bruges, Belgium, the movie was a delightful surprise. There is a good dose of humour, dark and somewhat lighter, and there's more humanity than in all of Hollywood's summer blockbusters combined.
Superficially a slow actioner, In Bruges is a morality play, which shows the new-comer director's background in the theater. The interaction between the characters, the amazing twists and turns of the story and the great acting between the three lead men(Brendan Gleeson a surprise to me, his Harry Potter role did not impress but how could it have?) is the main thing to expect from this movie, with a clever and exciting climactic ending to top it off.
If you liked Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, or Layer Cake, or any other subtle off-beat dark comedy, then this is definitely for you. Beware of blood and violence at some parts, and heavy themes at others. This is not a movie to take lightly, but give it a chance, it's worth it.