The best script of the year. All three leads are marvelous.

Rating: 10/10 (13 July 2008)

Ah, we finally reach Spy's favorite genre of film: the hit-man dramedy. One of my favorite films is The Matador, which is about a dysfunctional hit-man's friendship with a regular average joe. In Bruges, while sporting similar characters, is different in the plot and outcome, but is the same in that it is now one of my favorite films.
It is a great character study. Martin McDonagh's existential hit-man piece has wonderful humor packed into a greater drama that serves as a big time eye opener for our characters. All three of our leads, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes, will experience a change in their outlooks on life before the credits roll. For those that do not know this film, it follows the misadventures of two hit men (Farrell and Gleeson) in Bruges, Belgium as they await a call from their boss (Fiennes). It's a moving picture, despite the fact that it moves fast and has some of the best comedic dialog of the year. I found the movie utterly hilarious at some points, with most of the humor coming from Colin Farrell.
I've always found that the existential/introspective type of dramedy has been my favorite type of film, and the fact that there's guns firing and laughs bursting at the same time only makes it better. There's humor injected into all the action sequences (though they are few and far between, they are well shot and edited). A good score also helps the film out a lot, but this film truly belongs to our actors.
I never thought I'd say this, but DAMN! Colin Farrell is wonderful in the film, and in my opinion, his role was the hardest to pull off. I've noticed that Farrell's best performances come when he uses his natural Irish accent. The emotional intensity of Farrell's performance, combined with his uncanny comic timing, make for the best performance of his career, bar none. His character was my favorite in the story, and he really impressed me here. Brendan Gleeson...well, I've long felt that he's one of Europe's diamonds in the rough, and very underrated. Hopefully he gets the exposure he deserves from this film. Gleeson, giving us a wonderfully introspective show, helps provide the wisdom and balance to Farrell's fast talking youngster. The partners really compliment each other. Then there's Ralph Fiennes, who, despite being absent for a big portion of the movie, had me on the floor laughing when he finally enters (he is heard on the phone at some point but doesn't actually appear for a while longer). To continue the appearances of cast members from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Clemence Poesy is also impressive (and might I say, quite beautiful) and well casted in her role as Chloe.
In Bruges is a true gem of an action/dramedy that shouldn't be missed. It has a wonderful script with the best dialog of the year, some of which will have you laughing through the next few lines after. It's a beautiful character study and a well shot piece that will make our director a hot commodity over the next few years. Farrell, Gleeson, and Fiennes should be proud to have this movie on their resumes. I know I would be.