In a Nutshell Masterpiece: In Bruges (8.5/10)

Rating: 9/10 (8 December 2010)

In Bruges..."You've got to stick to your principles"
Defining the genre of Dark Comedy, In Bruges presents a cinematic course of continuously entertaining dialogues in a classic clash of humour and drama. A story of two hit men, "Ray" (Collin Farrell) and "Ken" (Brendan Gleeson), sent on time off in Bruges, Belgium by their boss "Harry" (Ralph Fiennes) after a tough job. During the few days they spend in the little gloomy town, circumstances lead them to show more of their characters and their thoughts on different matters of life.
As you watch In Bruges you can't help getting pulled right into the plot and what it presents from dramatic reality. The key to that is none other than the actual setting of the movie. Think about this; the most preserved medieval town in Belgium, old buildings and little canals, and two Irishmen trying to make something of it. It all makes the place itself very interesting to the viewer even while Collin Farrell keeps going at it as being a s*** hole. Bruges may not make it to the top the viewers' favourite cities list but what makes it very fit for this film is its dull atmosphere and cloudy layout where morning scenes are as dark and gloomy as night ones; an essential element for shooting a black comedy.
Evidently the strongest, most significant factor that makes In Bruges an anything but ordinary kind of film is its Oscar nominated screenplay. A rich flow of dialogues and random conversations, so irrelevant and so inappropriate sometimes that it daringly shows the awkward reality of different life situations usually acted out differently in the movies. This appears clearly in what I consider one of the most enjoyable phone conversations ever acted on the big screen; it's Harry (Fiennes) vs. Ken (Gleeson) talking about Bruges and how Ray (Farrell) feels about it. Even the excessive swearing and the use of the F word 126 times throughout the film help darken the dialogues and perfecting them for one of the most inspirational black comedies in the history of the genre.
But there's always something special about any movie that's written and directed by the same person. When you take a closer look at In Bruges, you figure that Martin McDonagh has shown pure brilliance in directing his very own tight script. Having created the story himself, his presentation constantly gives a hint of pure originality in every scene. The dramatic depth of In Bruges is only deepened even more by what I believe to be the perfect cast; it's one of those rare movies where you think the writer thought of the actor even before the character itself was written. Farrell, Gleeson and Fiennes, each an acting phenomenon on his own, fill in their roles in a quite convincing manner; good enough to earn Collin Farrell a Golden Globe in 2008.
In a nutshell, In Bruges is one deep sophisticated yet simple story, full of morals and symbols. It is funny, it is dark and it is fully entertaining. The piano score, the medieval city and the awkward conversations, all make it quite the ride, the kind of ride you don't miss.