Our men in Bruges

Rating: 9/10 (13 November 2009)

Ken an Ray, two Irish hit men, are seen arriving in Bruges, Belgium. The have been told to go to that city after a job had gone badly back in Ireland. Their boss, Harry, figures the medieval city will be perfect to get this duo away from all the commotion the crime has caused back home. Ray, doing his first job has to get rid of a priest. In doing so, he also kills an innocent child on his way to confession. The mere idea in killing a minor is something so repugnant, that even the criminal boss is horrified.
Harry remembering fondly the time he visited that lovely old city, decides to send the two men there. Ken, who is older, and wiser, decides to take it easy and tries to discover the hidden treasures of Bruges, while Ray, a much younger and inexperienced man thinks the city stinks, literally. Having them share a room is too much for Ray. Ken, on the other hand, doesn't appreciate his babysitting job, knowing his younger partner is a loose cannon.
Ray discovers the gorgeous Chloe that appears to be working in a movie being shot in the city. Ray wants to have fun, finding that Chloe is game for whatever. As they are getting comfortable at her place, her boyfriend Eirik, arrives wielding a gun and pointing it to Ray, who is able to get it from him. Little did he know it had blank bullets. In the struggle Ray fires a shot wounding Eirik in one eye.
Ken receives an urgent message from Harry, he must eliminate Ray. Ken is not mentally prepared to execute what Harry wants from him. In fact, when he finds the proper time to do it, he changes his mind ans asks Ray to go away and try to stay away from Ireland and England, but as fate has it, Ray is found out by the police because of a violent encounter with a Canadian tourist at a restaurant.
Harry decides he cannot trust Ken. He shows up in Bruges to take care of business. The confrontation has Harry and Ken going to a tower that faces the main square. What happens next will surprise us because of the way things develop. The ending parallels what happened to Ray when he killed the boy by accident. In this instance Harry proves he might be a criminal also, but one with scruples.
"In Bruges" is a fine film by playwright turned director Martin McDonagh, whose "Leenanne Trilogy", "The Liutenant of Inishmore" and other plays have delighted theater goers in the last decade, decided to work on an original story that he magnificently sets in the gorgeous, and touristy city of Bruges, Belgium. Mr. McDonagh shows why he is one of the best writers working these days. With this debut he makes probably the impossible task of making a film that everybody will use as a base of comparison against his future films.
The cast is first rate. Brendan Gleeson, the star of his short film, "Six Shooter" was born to play Ken, the older criminal that has seen a lot during his hard life in that world. This actor clearly shows why he is one of the best character actors around. Equally surprising is Colin Farrell. This actor brings an intensity to his Ray, the ambitious young man who made a mistake in misjudging the way he was to eliminate an enemy and has to pay dearly for it. Ralph Fiennes gives one of the best performances of his career as the crime boss with a conscience. His presence in the film is based on a raw energy we just didn't expect.
The supporting cast is excellent. Clemence Poesy is the beautiful Chloe, the woman that catches Ray's eye. Jeremie Renier, the wonderful Belgian actor has a small part as the skinhead Eirik. Thekla Reuten appears as the pregnant hotel owner. Zeljko Ivanek has a small, but important part as the offended tourist that protest about smoking in a restaurant. Jordan Prentice is Jimmy, the dwarf actor working in the film that is being shot and becomes friendly with Ray.
The film is photographed lovingly by Eigil Bryld. He takes us through the magical city of Bruges to witness the action, never making the mistake of making it a travelogue. Carter Burwell's fine musical score contributes to our enjoyment of the film. Credit must go to the director for bringing all the elements together in this amazing production.