ringing the Belgium

Rating: 7/10 (12 July 2008)

Prior to seeing Martin McDonagh's "In Bruges", I had heard that it was a straightforward comedy. It turned out that while the movie starts out comedic, it gets more serious as it progresses. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play hit men Ray and Ken, respectively. After Ray accidentally kills a boy, head honcho Harry (Ralph Fiennes) sends Ray and Ken to Bruges, Belgium. This is the sort of city that by rights should attract just about every tourist; certainly Ken spends as much time as possible sightseeing. Ray, however, can't get over his previous actions, and his short temper gets him into trouble everywhere.
Two wrenches get thrown into the works when Ray strikes up a relationship with local drug dealer Chloe (Clemence Poesy) and Harry orders Ken to kill Ray. The events resulting from the second part really set the movie on its more serious course.
I guess that the movie disappointed me a little in that it turned out not to be the comedy that I expected. But for the most part I liked how it posed the question of what is right in such a convoluted situation and lets the audience decide for themselves (sort of like what "No Country for Old Men" does). Worth seeing, if not the best movie. And if I may say so, Jimmy's (Jordan Prentice) description of the race war sounded like what Charles Manson envisioned.
Also starring Elizabeth Berrington, Anna Madeley, Thekla Reuten, Ciaran Hinds, Rudy Blomme, Mark Donovan, Ann Elsley and Jean-Marc Favorin.