In Bruges (2008)

 

In Bruges is, by turns, funny and dark, silly and despairing. It’s the tale of two Irish hit men who are sent by their demanding boss to hide out in the Belgian title city after a hit goes horribly wrong. The younger of the two men, Ray (Colin Farrell), while performing a hit on a priest in a confessional, accidentally killed a young boy. Apparently, hit men and their bosses have scruples: who knew? Ray and his mentor Ken (the subtle Brendan Gleeson) are meant to enjoy the city, but while Ken enjoys the medieval churches and the canal rides and other historical, tourist spots, Ray hates it. However, he soon finds a way to stay busy with a series of misadventures. Stumbling up a film shoot that includes an American dwarf as the star, Ray falls in love with a drug dealer named Chloe (Clemence Poesy). He picks a fight with a Canadian couple while dining out with Chloe, then later has to ward off an attack from her boyfriend when he goes back to her place for sex. Ken, meanwhile, has gotten the order from Henry (a very tightly wound Ralph Fiennes) that he has to kill Ray because the murder of an innocent child is unforgiveable. Ken doesn’t want to kill his friend; he feels that Ray can still be redeemed. It was his first hit after all. The strength of In Bruges lies primarily in its script. The banter (bickering?) between Farrell’s Ray and Gleeson’s Ken is delightful, dark at times, playful at others. They discuss what the death of a boy could mean; it’s some heavy existential stuff at times. However, they also have a raucous night with the dwarf film star (Jordan Prentice, stealing every scene he’s in), snorting coke and enjoying the company of hookers. Farrell has the flashier role, and he makes good use of it. This is one of his best performances in years. Thanks to the script by the talented Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, even relatively minor characters such as the pregnant woman who owns the hotel where Ken and Ray stay while in Bruges contribute to the depth of the story. All of the performers get moments to shine, and the city itself serves as a lovely backdrop to the action.

Oscar Nomination: Best Original Screenplay