In Bruges ~~~~

'In Bruges'... a funny little film, quite literally. It's a difficult one to slip neatly into any particular genre but I'll have a go. Bitter-sweet film noir buddy movie with a gangster-comedy twist.

The reason I like this film so much is because it kept me guessing both as to how it would end and how many below the belt, risqué bad jokes it could pack in. Picking on a midget??? Is that right??? Well yes, in this case... kind of... not sure... damn, I got sucked in!

Without giving it all away, here's the plot - two dodgy hit-men types are sent to Bruges. Bruges, I hear you cry, where the heck is that??? Well, Belgium. And gorgeous it is too. The two likely fellows haul up in a hotel waiting for a call from 'the boss' anticipating a 'hit'... little do they know...

The characters, played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, spend a good deal of their time bickering and arguing amongst themselves for the first half of the flick. Farrell hates 'history' and isn't interested in the architecture whilst Gleeson is making the best of a bad situation and tries to see the sights before the hit comes in. Farrell takes a while to settle down - he does the best impression of a twitchy man I've ever seen on screen just about keeping the comedy element pegged down enough to prevent it from falling into bizarre slap-stick territory. Gleeson is the steady, quiet man... and one has a feeling the quiet man has much to show.

All is well for the most part. They bumble around and meet a variety of strange locals including the aforementioned small person involved in a film shoot in the city. There's quite a lot of violence tucked away here and an awfully lot of darkness in the characters which is very evident. It makes one feel that this film isn't going to close on a high note and, whatdoyaknow, it doesn't.

By the middle of the film, we're introduced to a rather joyfully hammy Big Boss character played wickedly by Ralph Fiennes. He does a stirling job of portraying a rather old school 1940's/50's mafiosa boss, albeit from some part of south London. Once he arrives in Bruges, you know the pace is going to change... and it does. It all begins to verge on the side of slap-stick once the various villains start running around the city totting guns but all is forgiven for the extremely sentimental climax and heart rending character exploration and reveal at the end.

Quite an unusual film this. It's stuck in my mind months after viewing and I can't wait to see it again. Farrell is in his element in a non-Hollywood blockbuster and presents an all round more satisfying performance in the film. I hope he gets the hint. Gleeson is extremely subtle and brings so much more to the gentle giant character than most probably could. Fiennes is hammier than I thought he could be so thumbs up to him too.

My viewing partner and I were both very impressed with the wonderful actresses playing the local women who get embroiled in the mayhem - Clemence Poesy (Fleur Delacour in the last Harry Potter) and Thekla Reuten. Well done ladies.

It's not often a 'smaller film' is so impressive all round. Even if I had hated the film, I'd still want to visit Bruges so it's a winner either way you look.

(Date viewed - 21/05/08)