A dark film imbued with much humour, pathos and humanity. Excellent!

Rating: Null/10 (7 April 2016)

Hit men Ray and Ken have been told to lay low and await orders in Bruges, a city in Belgium, after a job gone wrong. While Ken is happy to relax and sightsee, Ray could not be unhappier. Of course, aside from the fact that Ray does not care for the cultural offerings of their surroundings, he is also dealing with past wrongdoings that play heavily on his conscience.
While this may sound like the makings of a dour story (not that there's anything wrong with dour stories; I love them), I do not think any film has made me sad and then laugh in immediate succession without devolving into parody. This movie may be the only one that has, and does so more than once. Indeed, I sometimes laughed whilst I was sad, and rather than the integrity of the scene being ruined, I was confounded; should I be laughing or crying? I say "without devolving into parody" because some films unintentionally make light of the more downbeat moments, thus detracting from them. In Bruges does not fall into this trap. Yes, the film can be classified as a black comedy and yes, much of the (often very dark) humour is amongst the funniest I've come across in my time watching films. However, the more serious portions of the film, which mostly deal with Ray's struggle with his guilt, are truly sincere and heartfelt.
Colin Farrell gives a truly great performance. He makes it easy to sympathise with Ray; you really feel sorry for him. It seems to me that Farrell generally is not given the respect he deserves as an actor. This maybe more a reflection of the roles he chooses rather than his ability. If you don't like Colin Farrell, watch In Bruges and maybe you'll change your mind.
Brendan Gleeson, as always, is excellent as the older Ken. Ken may be a hit-man but it's hard to believe due to his warm, amiable and gentle nature. At the same time, Gleeson also manages to bring a certain gravity to the role; notwithstanding his trade, Ken could very well be a role model for a young man, at least in terms of his mannerisms. Ken is like a father figure to Ray; he genuinely cares for Ray's wellbeing.
The foul-mouthed character of Harry- Ray's and Ken's boss- is played by, well, I won't say; if you do not know already, it's better to find out when you watch the film. Perhaps you'll be surprised. Even though we only hear Harry over the phone for the first half or more of the film, he exudes a strong presence.
None of the main characters (I refer to Ray, Ken and Harry) are truly despicable; yes, they've committed evil deeds and are deeply flawed, however, they all have their principles (many of them actually honourable) and stick to them. This instils respect in one's heart for the characters, if not unreserved love (but how can you not love Ken?).
The film also looks very good. The night-time scenes in particular stand out, especially the ones with fog. You might say "it's like a fairy-tale or something".
Last but not least is the dark and pensive score by Carter Burwell, which exemplifies the themes of guilt and redemption and really underscores Ray's anguish. Burwell is fast becoming one of my favourite composers.
In Bruges is a dark film imbued with much humour, pathos and humanity. It succeeds because of its characters. It is one of my favourite films, and I hope you feel the same after watching it.