March 17: In Bruges

"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."

   For St. Patrick's Day, I decided to revisit one of my favorite movies with two of my favorite Irish actors, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. In Bruges is an absolute blast that combines drama, comedy, and violence in a glorious fashion. Farrell and Gleeson play a couple of hitmen who are ordered by their boss (the awesome Ralph Fiennes) to go lay low in a little Belgium town. The events that follow are unexpected and the story takes all sorts of turns until it ends with one hell of a bang. The film has so much vulgar language and clever dialogue it makes The Boondock Saints look like a couple of leprechauns shooting Nerf guns at a bunch of ne'er-do-wells. 

 Spiritus Sancti my ass. 

  The film is much more solemn than you would think, and it's comedy is genuinely funny, but it's darker moments linger much longer than the laughs. The film tells the story of a man trying to run away from a haunting past, and wondering if there really is more ahead for him than just his dirty profession and a bunch of alcohol. The violence never holds back and when it's bloody, it's BLOODY. Bruges is a fairy-tale little village and the blood and gore that gradually paints the town red is all the more disturbing. In Bruges is beautiful and masterfully shot by first time director, Martin McDonagh, a man who gained recognition for his play writing and directing. 

It's like if Cinderella murdered Prince Charming, got drunk, and yelled at fat American tourists. 

  Overall, In Bruges is literally one of my all time favorite movies, and I don't say that about a lot of films. No matter what I write, the review will not do the film justice. So, I implore you to watch this film and give it the love it deserves. It's hilarious and heart-wrenching, and the whole film is almost a symbolic story about life, death, and purgatory. It's much more profound than any ordinary European crime thriller and In Bruges is one of the rarest, most unique films I have ever seen. 

The Good:

the directing

The Better:

the script

The Best: 

the acting

^^ that kind of means In Bruges is amazing

Overall: 9.8/10

Best Quote:

Ray: What are they doing over there? They're filming something. They're filming midgets!
Ken: Ray...
Ken: Ray, come on. Let's go.
Ray: My arse let's go. They're filming midgets.

Trailer: