In Hell? Or In Bruges?

Rating: 8/10 (4 August 2008)

How do you make the story of a hit-man who accidentally blew a hole through a child's head funny and light? It ain't easy, but IN BRUGE does it on several levels.
You definitely have to have a main character who can pull off something both dramatic and comedic. And that someone is Colin Farrell (MIAMI VICE), a killer who finds he's having trouble living with the accidental death of child who got in the way of a bullet.
Then you have to have a great co-star, and he turns out to be Brendan Gleeson (KINGDOM OF HEAVEN). Gleeson has been a favorite star of mine since his American portrayal of Sheriff Keough in LAKE PLACID. His combination of dramatic chops mixed with witty line delivery made him the perfect choice for this role.
You've also gotta have some sort of tryst going on, and there's actually several of those. The primary is that of Ray (Collin Farrell) and Chloë (Clémence Poésy). Their brutal honesty with each other makes for some interesting mental sparring between the two and has some of the lighter moments within this otherwise dark dramedy. The other is that between Ken (Gleeson) and pregnant Belgium hotel owner Marie (Thekla Reuten). Ken's distant manner opens up to Marie during certain film segments, and Marie's stunning good looks and prideful appearance make her a person to be reckoned with. Another mini-tryst comes thanks to a film being produced "In Bruges" where one of its stars named Jimmy (midget Jordan Prentice) is out to have a good time with whatever women he can find (or drugs).
Normally location wouldn't necessarily play that important of a role in a movie like this that is truly a character study of dark people who are also genuinely decent in many ways. But Bruges, Belgium IS important. After Ray (Farrell) accidentally kills the small boy, he and Ken (Gleeson) are told to "get out of town and head to Bruges." For Ken, it's like a vacation; the stunning buildings and peaceful waterways put Ken in laid-back mode. But Ray is tense, on edge, and sincerely depressed at his accidental shooting of the small boy. The two clash as soon as they reach Bruges, and their differences are mirrored in the landscape around them: swans, steeples, guns, and prostitutes.
There's also a comparative study going on between a famous painting of Hell in Bruges, Belgium (that Ken and Ray check out), to that of the movie being filmed in town by Jimmy (Prentice) and that of the experience Ken and Ray find while visiting this quaint, Belgian community. I won't say more for fear of giving away too much.
The final bonus for movie watchers is checking out Ralph Fiennes (THE CONSTANT GARDNER) as the overly-scrupulous death dealer Harry Waters. He's a family man with a mob-boss mentality who must head to Bruges himself in order to set things right. And once he's there things really heat up! Bullets fly. Bodies fall from tall buildings with resounding *splats!* And he finds himself the victim of his own moral code in the end. Nicely played.
A warning should probably be given to those who are squeamish or don't care for the overuse of foul language. Both play out significantly in the film, but they are also integral to the characters and the life they've chosen. But you can't say I didn't warn you (the R rating is definitely deserved).
What's more interesting to me now, though, is that I would LOVE to see Bruges in person. The extra features on the DVD include a boat trip through the canals of Bruges and point out incredible spots of interest. An added bonus, for sure. I just hope I don't see any cloaked midgets or men with silencers running around.