If there is one trendy subgenre that needs refashioning it is the British gangster movie. Mr. Madonna...ahem...I mean Mr. Guy Ritchie re-popularized British criminal protagonists with his films Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. The films were not popular because of depth, but because they began catering to the ADD viewer with their stylish filmmaking and quirky violence. These movies were enjoyed by many because they were trying hard to be cool and actually convinced viewers that they were cool. I myself can attest to my enjoyment of the gratuitous comical violence and the camera shots that made me feel more alert than a Wall Street yuppie on a cocaine bender (not that I know what a cocaine bender feels like....I was a child throughout the 1980s). Directors have tried to replicate such coolness with more attention-grabbing crime films with cinematography overkill. Director Ritchie himself even exhausted the trend he started with the critically-panned Revolver. The realization is that these films were trying so hard to be cool, but were simply not genuine. Fortunately the subgenre has been given a strong makeover with director Martin McDonagh's In Bruges. After opening the Sundance film festival, the European dramedy is beginning its limited run in the United States. Much to my surprise, it is one of the more wildly original films to be released this year.
The film opens with our main characters Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson). Both of them have retreated to Bruges, Belgium together where they are expected to hide out after a botched hit job. Both men are professional killers from different generations, and the generational gap is clear. Ken is a seasoned and wise man that has been in the business for years giving him time to thicken his skin and become apathetic on the job. In fact, he loves the fact that their profane boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) has sent them to a town of such simplicity. Ray could not think of Bruges any differently from his traveling buddy. Like a spoiled teenager on a family vacation, Ray's young, Dublin blood cannot stand the mundane dullness of Bruges and its inhabitants. However, he is also scarred from an unfortunate mistake made during his first and only hit job.
The two men wait in Bruges for Harry to call and dismiss them from their retreat. While passing time, Ray even manages to take a liking to a drug-dealing local (Clemence Poesy), sell cocaine to prostitute-loving dwarf, and get into a couple of bar room brawls. Meanwhile, Ken receives the anticipated call from Harry and is forced to make a very difficult decision.
In Bruges seems to be marketed as a wacky film that is weird beyond words, as the trailer can only emphasize jokes about guns and midgets. Indeed, In Bruges is a very bizarre story that does not hold back on politically incorrect humor. However, the film is so many other things that I never expected prior to walking into the theater. Not only is this a comedy, but there is plenty of dramatic narrative as Ray and Ken walk the streets of Belgium while discussing the meaning of life. Not once is there a camera shot that exists for the sake of "look at me". The filmmaking is of a more traditional nature and focuses more on its characters. In Bruges doesn't need to try to be cool because it simply is cool. Director Martin McDonagh is an accomplished theater auteur who clearly believes more in savoring the interactions between characters than trying to impress the audience with spectacle.
The three main actors pump most of the life into this film. Colin Ferrell, who has been MIA recently, makes a smashing comeback as Ray. Not only is Ferrell a natural at making smartass cracks with an Irish brogue, but he exhibits his capability to be a serious actor. Ray may appear to be a badass without a care in the world on his exterior, but he is also a flawed man. This is noticed by Ken, who is played marvelously by Brendan Gleeson. As an older man who has seen it all, one can see the years of experience in his eyes as he observes the nativity in his destructive co-worker. Then there is Ralph Fiennes, who does not bring much depth to the table, but chews up scenery as the token scary gangster that makes you laugh one minute and fear for your life the next.
It took me a while to realize how great In Bruges really is. The film is a mix of politically incorrect jokes, action, disturbing violence, and emotion-tugging drama, and it all actually works together. At its core, this is an effective story about conflicted men who must make difficult choices that will greatly affect their life paths. It is a story that knows when to make us laugh and when to really put us on edge. I enjoyed this flick from start to finish because I never knew what to expect, and the finished product is a juxtaposition of so many things I love about going to the movies in the first place. This is truly one of the first notable films to be released in 2008 and it comes with my strong recommendation.
Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com
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