If you can't laugh at a man being blinded in one eye by a blank, then this isn't for you

Rating: 6/10 (25 May 2009)

2008 had two high-profile crime time comedies that blended action with suspense and a hintage of good ol' European humor. On one hand, we have the slick Rockn'Rolla that brought Guy Ritchie back into the spotlight, and now we have a new-school director delivering one of the most unique hit-man films in a very long time. In Bruges is one of those rare examples in which the comedy is so bleak, so dark, it can barely pass off as humor depending on the viewer. Marketed as a quirky action comedy; this film doesn't match the genre in the least bit. Instead we have a deep character study that focuses on the moral implications of the main characters, as they tour around a beautiful yet overlooked city. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. The film itself is interesting and fleshes out a clever story; but never quite gets off the ground, never quite propels itself to become a highly entertaining film. Then of course, we have the indie ending.
In Bruges follows two hit men that must lay low after a mission went horrifically wrong. While Ray (Colin Ferell) soaks in the bitterness and guilt over his murder, Ray's partner Ken soaks in all the beautiful scenery and curiosity of the area. They both become well-acquainted with the place, meeting all sorts of characters. However, things become complicated when their boss (Ralph Fieness) has a new job for one of them. This is the debut feature-film script and directorial effort by Martin McDonagh as he crafts a good tale that has the same style of dark humor and tense action as his acclaimed short film from years ago. Originality is all over the place in this film, as dark humor is a tough genre to sell and deliver; it's rarely ever done successfully.
The film is a delightful character study about people's actions, reactions, and the codes they must follow. Irony and subtle humor is also heavily present, as the mere premise of two murderous hit men touring around a secluded town like tourists is sure to tickle the funnybone. The script also calls for sympathy towards our anti-heroes, which is definitely a hard task that McDonagh tackled with ease. Helping the writing is superb acting by Ferell and Brendan Gleeson. If they don't interest you, Bruges certainly will. Bruges is basically a character in the film, as it adjusts and alters the mindsets and morality codes of our assassins. Beautiful scenery and nice cinematography makes In Bruges a travel documentary with a fictional story attached.
However, the dark humor in the movie is a bit too dark. The movie can barely classify as a comedy because there's so much tension, so much violence, and so many heavy themes. A few chuckles will occur, but it's offset by the bitter humor that leaves you cringing at times. In Bruges in other reviews has been described as "Irish humor." If that's the case, Irish humor is definitely not my cup of tea, as its comedy is disguised in heavy drama.
Bottom Line: A nicely written and acted film, marred by so-called "comedy." The humor comes off as bitterly dark and sometimes even dwells into the outright bizarre. If you can handle the dark chocolate-like taste (the 85% cacao bean kind), then you are in for a treat. The story is unique, so are the characters and situations they are involved in. This just might be American mainstream's first taste of Irish flavored film-making in years, and you can whether enjoy the flavor or move on. While the movie itself isn't amazing, this new-school director deserves a bit of attention for a strong first effort. In Bruges: a documentary with bullets and bodies.
The food there looks good though.