In Bruges (2008)

Director:

Martin McDonagh

Writer:

Martin McDonagh (written by)

Release Date:

29 February 2008 (Poland)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Shoot first. Sightsee later.

Plot:

Guilt-stricken after a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.

Plot Keywords:

Death | Irish | Drugs | Bruges Belgium | Dwarf

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 14 wins & 34 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Berrington	...	Natalie
Rudy Blomme	...	Ticket Seller
Olivier Bonjour	...	Film Director
Mark Donovan	...	Overweight Man
Ann Elsley	...	Overweight Woman #2
Colin Farrell	...	Ray
Jean-Marc Favorin	...	Policeman (as Jean Mark Favorin)
Ralph Fiennes	...	Harry
Brendan Gleeson	...	Ken
Eric Godon	...	Yuri
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Canadian Guy
Sachi Kimura	...	Imamoto
Anna Madeley	...	Denise
Louis Nummy	...	Harry's child #3
Clémence Poésy	...	Chloe
Jordan Prentice	...	Jimmy
Jérémie Renier	...	Eirik (as Jérémie Rénier)
Thekla Reuten	...	Marie
Theo Stevenson	...	Boy in Church
Inez Stinton	...	Kelli
Emily Thorling	...	Overweight Woman
Angel Witney	...	Harry's child #2
Bonnie Witney	...	Harry's child #1
Ran Yaniv	...	Barman
Stephanie Carey	...	Canadian Girl
Jamie Edgell	...	Boat Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susan Ateh	...	Ken's Wife (uncredited)
Michael Bennett	...	Belgian Policeman (uncredited)
Ciarán Hinds	...	Priest (uncredited)
Matt Smith	...	Young Harry (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin McDonagh

Writing credits
Martin McDonagh		(written by)

Produced by
Jeff Abberley	....	executive producer
Julia Blackman	....	executive producer
Graham Broadbent	....	producer
Peter Czernin	....	producer (as Pete Czernin)
Sarah Harvey	....	co-producer
Tessa Ross	....	executive producer
Ronaldo Vasconcellos	....	line producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Eigil Bryld		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jon Gregory

Casting by
Jina Jay

Production Design by
Michael Carlin

Art Direction by
Chris Lowe

Set Decoration by
Anna Lynch-Robinson

Costume Design by
Jany Temime

Makeup Department
Francesco Alberico	....	hair stylist
Charlotte Hayward	....	hair trainee
Charlotte Hayward	....	makeup trainee
Sallie Jaye	....	hair designer
Sallie Jaye	....	makeup designer
Sharon Martin	....	makeup artist
Jemma Scott-Knox-Gore	....	contact lens technician
David White	....	prosthetic makeup designer: Altered States FX
Pamela Goldammer	....	prosthetics workshop technician (uncredited)

Production Management
James Biddle	....	unit production manager
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor
Grietje Lammertyn	....	unit production manager
Judy Richter	....	production consultant
Steve Harvey	....	unit manager: UK (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew Penry-Davey	....	first assistant director
Charlie Reed	....	third assistant director
Lance Roehrig	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Joshua Barraud	....	stand-by art director
Philippe Bertin	....	set dresser
Jacco Bout	....	dressing props
Tim Browning	....	assistant art director
Robert Clarke	....	construction rigger
Guy Cope	....	stand-by rigger
George Dean	....	head painter
Arwel Evans	....	stand-by props
Stephen Forrest-Smith	....	storyboard artist (as Steve Forrest-Smith)
Niki Geeraerts	....	stagehand
Muffin Green	....	property master
Kathy Heaser	....	graphic designer
Peter Hodge	....	stand-by carpenter
Alez King	....	stand-by props
Richard Law	....	construction rigger
Steven Liegeois	....	production buyer: BE
Chris Lievens	....	stand-by props
Adam McCreight	....	dressing props (as Adam McReight)
Pascal Mievis	....	carpenter
Eddie Murphy	....	construction supervisor
Robbe Nuyttens	....	set dresser
Mark Overall	....	carpenter
Gert Pannecoucke	....	petty cash buyer
Antoine Robin	....	construction manager
Ignacio J. Santeugini	....	carpenter (as Nacho Santeugini)
Luke Sargent	....	carpenter
Nick Sargent	....	construction supervisor (as Nicholas Sargent)
Russell Sargent	....	carpenter (as Russ Sargent)
Charlotte Sierens	....	art department runner
Patrick Tierssoone	....	construction technical advisor
Peggy Verstraeten	....	stand-by props
Rod Whiting	....	storeman
Sarah Whittle	....	production buyer: London
Peter Wilkinson	....	painter
Rohan Harris	....	model maker (uncredited)
Colin Jackman	....	sculptor (uncredited)
John Jones	....	prop maker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert Brazier	....	foley mixer
Oliver Brierley	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist (as Pete Burgis)
Paul Carr	....	adr mixer
Alistair Crocker	....	production sound mixer
Andie Derrick	....	foley artist (as Andi Derrick)
Alex Fielding	....	sound mix technician
Arthur Graley	....	foley editor (as Arthur Grayley)
James Harbour	....	sound maintenance engineer
Sue Harding	....	foley artist
James Harrison	....	sound effects editor
Nigel Heath	....	adr mixer
Nigel Heath	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan Morgan	....	adr editor
Dan Morgan	....	dialogue editor
Rob Saunders	....	sound assistant
Julian Slater	....	supervising sound editor
Jessica Ward	....	assistant sound editor
Rowena Wilkinson	....	foley artist
Robert Edwards	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Johan Maertens	....	epk sound recordist (uncredited)
Beauxregard Neylon	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Jamie Roden	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Chris Sturmer	....	sound consultant: dolby (uncredited)

Special Effects by
James Davis III	....	snow effects technician (as James Davies)
James Davis III	....	special effects senior technician (as James Davies)
Hugh Goodbody	....	special effects senior technician
Mark Holt	....	special effects supervisor
David Johns	....	snow effects technician
Russell Pritchett	....	special effects technician
Del Reid	....	snow effects technician
Stephen Shelley	....	snow effects senior technician
Jamie Weguelin	....	special effects technician (as Jamie Wegeulin)
Barry Best	....	mould maker (uncredited)
Oliver Guy-Watkins	....	snow effects technician (uncredited)
Graham Riddell	....	senior special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Louie Alexander	....	retouch and restoration: Framestore-CFC
Oliver Atherton	....	sequence lead compositor: Double Negative
Michael Atkin	....	matchmover: Double Negative
Nicola Atkinson	....	matchmover: Double Negative
Ben Baker	....	head of digital lab: Framestore-CFC
Richard Briscoe	....	visual effects supervisor: Double Negative
Andy Burrow	....	scanning and recording manager: Framestore-CFC
Francesca Canducci	....	retouch and restoration: Framestore-CFC
Eric D'Souza	....	digital lab engineer: Framestore-CFC
Jerome Dewhurst	....	digital lab engineer: Frametore-CFC
Richard Diver	....	visual effects editor: Double Negative
Kenneth Fanning	....	matchmover: Double Negative (as Ken Fanning)
Gavin Gregory	....	visual effects coordinator: Double Negative
Jerry Hall	....	compositor: Double Negative
Adam Hawkes	....	retouch and restoration: Framestore-CFC
Aeon Henderson	....	compositor: Double Negative
Joseph Hoare	....	scanning and recording: Framestore-CFC
Yan Jennings	....	film mastering engineer: Framestore-CFC
Jody Johnson	....	digital supervisor: Double Negative
David Johnston	....	data operator: Framestore-CFC
Kevin Lowery	....	film mastering engineer: Framestore-CFC
Rupert Porter	....	visual effects producer: Double Negative
Ian Redmond	....	digital lab engineer: Framestore-CFC
Jimmy Saul	....	scanning and recording: Framestore-CFC
Nick Stanley	....	retouch and restoration: Framestore-CFC
Davi Stein	....	compositor: Double Negative
Odean Thompson	....	retouch and restoration: Framestore-CFC (as O'Dean Thompson)
Simon Trafford	....	sequence lead compositor: Double Negative
Simon Wessely	....	data operator: Framestore-CFC
Patrick Zentis	....	digital matte painter: Double Negative
Szvák Antal	....	visual effects coordinator: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Jaume Arteman	....	digital compositor: Double Negative (uncredited)
Szapek Attila	....	compositor: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Zoltán Benyó	....	visual effects producer: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Zachary Bloom	....	scanning and recording: Framestore-CFC (uncredited)
Clare Brody	....	digital intermediate: data operator (uncredited)
Paul Burke	....	scanning and recording: Framestore-CFC (uncredited)
Dave Calub	....	retouch and restoration: Framestore-CFC (uncredited)
Zoe Cousins	....	scan record operator (uncredited)
Richard Edwards	....	data operator: Framestore-CFC (uncredited)
Péter Farkas	....	digital compositor: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Tamás Fiedler	....	digital compositor: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Mai Gray	....	retouch and restoration: Framestore-CFC (uncredited)
Alistair Hamer	....	film mastering engineer (uncredited)
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: Double Negative (uncredited)
Karsten Hecker	....	scanning & film recording assistant manager: Framestore-CFC (uncredited)
John Inch	....	retouch and restoration (uncredited)
Rafal Kaniewski	....	compositor (uncredited)
Pál Klemm	....	supervising digital compositor: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Katalin Kriskó	....	roto/prep artist: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Aaron Lear	....	digital cleanup artist: Framestore-CFC (uncredited)
Taz Lodder	....	technical support: Double Negative (uncredited)
James Long	....	data operator (uncredited)
Veronica Marcano	....	scanning and recording operator: Framestore-CFC (uncredited)
James Reed	....	scanning and recording (uncredited)
Zoltán Szegedi	....	digital artist: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Gábor Székely	....	technical director: Cube Effects (uncredited)
Derek Walsh	....	assistant visual effects editor: Double Negative (uncredited)
Péter Zavorszky	....	visual effects production manager: Cube Effects (uncredited)

Stunts
James Embree	....	stunt double: Ray
Paul Herbert	....	stunt coordinator
Rowley Irlam	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mark Mottram	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roy Branch	....	rigging electrician
Jaap Buitendijk	....	still photographer
Monique Carboni	....	research photographer: Bruges
Wailoon Chung	....	shooting electrician
Ian Clark	....	focus puller
Nic Cupac	....	key grip
Cuong Dang	....	video assist operator
Warren Ewen	....	rigging gaffer
Tony Goulding	....	rigging electrician
Mark Hanlon	....	best boy
Rawdon Hayne	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Tom Hooker	....	camera trainee
Jody Knight	....	grip trainee
Andy Long	....	gaffer
Iain Mackay	....	camera loader: "b" camera
Danny Madden	....	rigging electrician
David Maund	....	grip: "b" camera
Robert Rabson	....	shooting electrician (as Rob Rabson)
Peter Robertson	....	Steadicam operator
Peter Robertson	....	camera operator
John Saunders	....	shooting electrician (as Jon Saunders)
Colin Strachan	....	grip: "b" camera
Simon Surtees	....	clapper loader
Wim Temmerman	....	additional electrician
Gideon van Essen	....	additional electrician
Kristof Van Torre	....	additional electrician
Simon Baker	....	daily camera operator (uncredited)
Julien Covens	....	grip (uncredited)
Roel Tanghe	....	electrician (uncredited)
Christophe Vanhoutte	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Dixie Chassay	....	casting assistant: UK
Patrick Hella	....	additional casting: BE
Lucinda Johnston	....	casting assistant: UK
Jakob Verbruggen	....	extras casting coordinator
Jakob Verbruggen	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chloe Aubry	....	costume assistant
Rosy Coppola	....	seamstress
Richard Davies	....	assistant costume designer
Michelle Gisonda	....	costume buyer
Laurent Guinci	....	costume supervisor
Neil Murphy	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Greg Barrett	....	head of film: Deluxe
Tabitha Blythe	....	digital intermediate editorial
Ben Bradley	....	on-line editor: Deluxe
Jo Dixon	....	first assistant editor (as Jo-Anne Dixon)
Alec Gibson	....	color grader: Deluxe
Adam Glasman	....	digital intermediate colorist
Adam Gough	....	second assistant editor
Jan Hogevold	....	digital intermediate executive producer
Stuart Nippard	....	digital intermediate conform editor
Ian Seymour	....	first assistant editor
Maria Stroka	....	digital intermediate producer
Chris Andrews	....	negative cutter (uncredited)
Stephen Bearman	....	colorist: dailies (uncredited)
Sara Janasz	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)
Sabine McDonald	....	negative cutter (uncredited)
Kelly Smith	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
James Bellamy	....	music editor
Christine Bergren	....	music legal and clearances
Carter Burwell	....	conductor
Carter Burwell	....	orchestrator
Karen Elliott	....	music supervisor
Michael Farrow	....	scoring mixer
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
David Hartley	....	musician: piano
Jill Streater	....	copyist
Adam Langston	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Dean Parker	....	composer assistant (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Philippe Bertin	....	driver: prop
Malcolm Cooper	....	driver: facilities
Paul Frederickson	....	driver: facilities
Jeff Hudson	....	driver: Mr. Gleeson
Tony Jayes	....	driver: Mr. Farrell
Michael Knight	....	driver: facilities
Marek Kowelski	....	driver: facilities
Colin McDaid	....	transportation captain: facilities
Randy Nichols	....	driver: facilities
Robbe Nuyttens	....	driver: prop
Steve Rivenell	....	unit driver (as Stephen Rivenell)
Barrie Williams	....	driver: Mr. Fiennes
Cain Lee	....	driver: camera car, UK (uncredited)

Other crew
Charline Adriaens	....	assistant production coordinator: BE
Roland Ballard	....	assistant production coordinator: UK
Mark Beaumont	....	production accountant
Alain Berenboom	....	legal advisor: BE
Charles Bodycomb	....	on-set armorer (as Charlie Bodycomb)
Russell Boswell	....	chef: Ace Film Catering
Jonas Boutens	....	production runner: BE
Deepti Burton	....	legal services: Wiggin LLP
Jelle Claeys	....	location assistant: BE
Judy Crane	....	chef: Ace Film Catering
Matt Curtis	....	title designer
Lara Davis	....	production runner: UK
Kaat De Jonghe	....	production runner: BE
Lars de Kuyper	....	set production assistant
Tine de Meulenaere	....	production assistant: BE (as Tine Demeulenaere)
Paul Dray	....	laboratory contact: Deluxe
Nicky Earnshaw	....	production coordinator
Katleen Goossens	....	assistant accountant: BE
Lisa Jane Graham	....	craft service
Louise Green	....	assistant accountant: post-production
Paul Grindey	....	head of business affairs: Film4
Ruth Halliday	....	clearances: The Clearing House
Hanne Hauquier	....	production assistant: BE
Sam Haveland	....	floor runner
Alistair Hays	....	chef: Ace Film Catering
Emma Hayter	....	dialect coach: Mr. Renier
Jo van Hende	....	location manager: BE (as Jo Van Hande)
Mick Hurrell	....	health & safety advisor
Johan Ivens	....	location assistant: BE
Barbara Jansen	....	base production assistant
Bieke Janssens	....	assistant: Mr. Fiennes
Ariane Joachimowicz	....	legal advisor: BE
Joanna Johnson	....	legal and production: Scion Films
Tracey Josephs	....	head of production: Film4
Rachel Kennedy	....	unit publicist
Miles Ketley	....	legal services: Wiggin LLP, Film 4
Tamara King	....	production runner: UK
Ben Knight	....	production assistant: Blueprint
Rowena Ladbury	....	script supervisor
Jo Littlejohn	....	second assistant accountant
Seb Loden	....	production assistant
Todd Lundquist	....	assistant: director
Dieter Moeyaert	....	stand-in: utility
Charles Moore	....	legal services: Wiggin LLP
Ante Novakovic	....	assistant: Mr. Farrell
Paula Oehlers	....	unit nurse: BE
Emma Olrich-Smith	....	assets administrator
Katharine Otway	....	legal services: Wiggin LLP
Martin Parr	....	chef: Ace Film Catering
Bev Reid	....	assistant: Mr. Abberley and Mrs. Blackman, Scion Films
Jo Rogers	....	head of creative affairs: Scion Films
Katrien Rycx	....	assistant: Mr. Gleeson
Lara Sargent	....	accountant: post-production, JFA Inc.
Ellen Scheers	....	location assistant: BE
Joanne Sennitt	....	head of group finance: Scion Films
Jana Tallieu	....	set production assistant
Ben Thomas	....	legal and production: Scion Films
Liesbet Vaes	....	assistant production coordinator: BE
Davina Van Belle	....	second assistant accountant: BE
Carl Van Oyen	....	production runner: BE
Reinhout Vandeputte	....	location assistant: BE (as Reinout Vandeputte)
Jan Verstraete	....	stand-in: utility
Maarten Vyncke	....	production runner: BE
Dan Whitty	....	location manager: London (as Daniel Whitty)
Julia Wilson Dickson	....	dialect coach: Mr. Fiennes (as Julia Wilson-Dickson)
Sarah-Jane Wilson	....	first assistant accountant
Nadira Azermai	....	production assistant: dailies (uncredited)
Dave Evans	....	armourer (uncredited)
Frankie Malhotra	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Paulette Osorio	....	publicity executive (uncredited)
Judy Richter	....	production consultant (uncredited)
Sascha Robey	....	armorer (uncredited)
Ben Urquhart	....	post production executive (uncredited)
Helen Varty	....	assistant: Tessa Ross (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Blueprint Pictures
• Film4 (funding)
• Focus Features
• Scion Films

Distributors

• Focus Features (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• BFD (2009) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2008) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Paris Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Gativideo (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Geneon Universal Entertainment (2009) (Japan) (DVD) (rental)
• Paradise Group (2008) (Russia) (all media)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2008) (Finland) (all media)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Altered States FX (prosthetic make-up design)
• Double Negative (visual effects)

Other Companies

• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance provided by
• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting
• ARRI Media  camera and grip equipment provided by
• Ace Film Catering  catering
• Angel Studios  music mixed at
• Angel Studios  music recorded at
• Birds & Animals UK  animal handlers (as Birds & Animals)
• Camouflage Filmservice  plastering (as Camouflage)
• Clearing House, The  clearances
• Compuhire  24 frame playback
• Eltebe N.V.  unit minibuses
• Film4  development
• Framestore CFC  digital intermediate (as Digital Lab, Framestore-CFC)
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by
• Goldcrest Post Production London  adr recorded at (as Goldcrest Post Production)
• Hackenbacker Audio Post Production  adr recorded at
• Hackenbacker Audio Post Production  re-recorded at
• Hothouse Music  music supervision
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• Isobel Griffiths Limited  music contractor
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• London Session Orchestra, The  orchestra (uncredited)
• Midnight Transfer  high-definition preview conform
• Midnight Transfer  telecine high-definition facilities
• Movie Lot, The  security: UK
• Murphy PR  publicity
• Pivotal Post  editing equipment
• Sargent-Disc  payroll services
• Set Wheels  unit transportation
• Soundtrack  adr facility
• Translux  facilities and technical vehicles
• UK Computamatch  negative cutting (as Computamatch)
• V&D Security  security
• Wiggin  legal services
• Wiggin  legal services: Film4

Also Known As:

"Escondidos en Brujas" - Argentina, Spain
"Αποστολή στην Μπριζ" - Greece
"Apostoli stin Bruges" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Bienvenue à Bruges" - Canada (French title) (imdb display title)
"Bons baisers de Bruges" - France
"Brügge sehen... und sterben?" - Germany
"Em Bruges" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"En Brujas" - Mexico
"Erőszakik" - Hungary
"In Bruges" - Romania (imdb display title)
"In Bruges - La coscienza dell'assassino" - Italy
"Kriminalci na godisnjem" - Croatia
"Kukkoilijat" - Finland
"Na Mira do Chefe" - Brazil
"Najpierw strzelaj, potem zwiedzaj" - Poland
"Palgamõrvarid Brügges" - Estonia
"Reikalai Briugeje" - Lithuania (imdb display title)
"U Brizu" - Serbia (imdb display title)
"Unas vacaciones diferentes" - Peru
"Undercover i Brügge" - Norway (imdb display title)
"V Brugách" - Slovakia
"V Bruggách" - Czech Republic

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

UK:18 | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | USA:R (certificate #43954) | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | South Africa:16LV | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Australia:MA | Austria:14 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Chile:14 | Mexico:C | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:16 (theatrical rating) | France:U (with warning) | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Brugge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Company:

Blueprint Pictures

Trivia:

In one scene, Ray (Colin Farrell) fires a blank into a thug's eye, blinding it. In Tigerland (2000), Farrell's character fires a blank into a man's eye, but doesn't blind him.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Ray tells Ken that they are in the Basilica of the Holy Blood, named after a phial of Christ's blood brought back from the Crusades, they are not. They are in the Jeruzalemkerk, a private church built in the 15th century as a mausoleum for a wealthy merchant's family. The Basilica is the most visited church in Bruges.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ray:After I killed him, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter the instructions came through - "Get the fuck out of London, you dumb fucks. Get to Bruges." I didn't even know where Bruges fucking was.
[pause]
Ray:It's in Belgium.

Movie Connections:

Features Touch of Evil (1958)

Soundtrack:

Brandy Alexander

Nice Blend Of Drama And Comedy

One of the problems with seeing a trailer for a film is it creates an expectation. If it raises expectations, and the film delivers, great. However, if the film is less then expected, then the viewer feels cheated. The best case scenario is the one I found myself in before I saw In Bruges. Low expectations.

After seeing the trailer, In Bruges looked like a plodding British comedy with little originality and repetitious humor, hence the low expectations. Yet, In Bruges exceeded my minimal expectations, and, unlike my impression from the trailer, was an original drama with good acting and a nice blend of comedy mixed in. It was funny in the right places and appropriately dramatic when the story shifted into high gear towards the end.

Set in, no surprise here, Bruges, Belgium, the plot focuses on two London hit men, Ray played by Colin Farrell, and Ken, played by Brendan Gleeson. The pair is sent to Belgium after Ray botches his first hi. And therein lies the humor, Ray has no interest in being in the medieval city, and Ken wants to sight see.

I've never really liked Colin Farrell but who knew he had such a good sense of comedic timing? There is a running gag involving fighting with a bottle, and karate, that he manages to keep fresh as it pops up throughout the film. Brendan Gleeson's character provides the moral center and plays the straight man to Farrell's Ray. This works well as the movie turns more serious towards the end. However, for my money, the best performance is delivered by Ralph Fiennes who plays Harry the pair's criminal overlord back in London. Whereas Gleeson character embodies the moral center, Fiennes's Harry fills the role of principled immorality, if there is such a thing. Fiennes creates a character with a dubious moral center and is a quite believable figure of menace when he travels to Bruges to square off with Ken. Also, of note, is Jordan Prentice, an irritable dwarf who's in town to act in a movie filming there. His ramblings in one scene, about a coming race war, is worth the price of admission right there.

The only aspect of the film that didn't work for me was Ray's love interest. Early in the film he manages to woo Chloe, a drug dealer with, drum roll please, a heart of gold. For my tastes, the budding romance seems a little forced and comes across more as a vehicle for jokes and drama. But it's a small thing and I doubt anyone but me would notice.

I intentionally left a lot of plot points out, because, as I've mentioned, this film surprised me in a good way and I don't won't to ruin it for anyone else.

In Bruges is a good film. Go see it.

At the very least, it'll make you want to visit Bruges.