Being stuck in the cinema with this film was like being stranded in Bruges.

Rating: 4/10 (8 May 2008)

Where to start with this film? In Bruges is a strange little film, combining, as it does, comedy and violence. There is much to like about this film, but a lot more dislike. Colin Farrell is excellent as the guilt ridden hit-man Ray. Much of the dialogue with his partner Ken, played by Brendan Gleeson, is smart and funny and the premise of two hit men stranded in random place has potential. I particularly liked the economy of Ray's opening voice-over that sets the scene for the film. On reflection the things I like about this film are the things that the writer / director Martin McDonagh may have brought from his theatrical background. What I disliked about this film (SPOILER COMING) is what McDonagh does with the film's story that grows ever more preposterous and unbelievable as the movie goes on. What really starts to grate is the reliance on coincidence to drive the narrative and how the director simply brings characters together without explanation. A case in point would be Chloey's psycho boyfriend being present in a scene where Yuri, the (Russian?) gun dealer sells Harry a gun. What is the boyfriend doing here? And low and behold as the movie drifts towards its climax he appears again, quite randomly, to assist Harry in tracking down Ken with the line that goes something like, "he went that a way!" It is desperate stuff and totally unbelievable. And there are many more moments like this. Towards the end they meet Jimmy the dwarf walking to work on a film set already in costume. Jimmy is playing a school boy and so him being in costume allows another totally absurd plot twist to develop. As a film maker McDonagh should know that actors don't walk to work and they certainly don't turn up already in costume. And finally McDonagh's use of cinematic violence is particularly infuriating and rather than recommend Tarantino to McDonagh, to show how it should be done, I would tell him to see Funny Games instead. The violence that McDonagh uses to get a laugh and tell the story is movie violence. It is violence without consequence and pain, the sort that Hollywood has been peddling since day one. But then again perhaps I should have seen it coming....a movie about hit men? Thats bound to lead to gun dealer called Yuri living in a big eccentric house and a beautiful drug dealer /stick up artist living in a gorgeous apartment. Where people pick up and point guns without checking to see if they are loaded - or where you can buy a gun without actually handing over the money. This is the world of movie violence where a woman being punched in the face raises a laugh and where a hit mans first job is to kill a priest. It is totally stupid and, more unforgivably, quite boring. Mr McDonagh, Hollywood awaits.