IN BRUGES

UK, 2008, 126 minutes, Colour.
Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Zeljko Ivanek, Clemence Posey, Jeremy Rennier.
Directed by Martin Mc Donagh

While being able to say that this is a very entertaining, well-crafted and acted film, it is necessary to warn potential audiences who do not take kindly to screen swearing that this is a film with a great deal of swearing, a great deal. It is in that Irish tradition of expletives introducing any remark as if it were the perfectly natural thing to say (as we found with the language in The Commitments in the early 1990s). The writer-director is the English-born of Irish parents, the award-winning playwright, Martin Mc Donagh, who has a tendency to the boyo-in-your-face kind of drama.

That said, In Bruges is reminiscent of the work of another playwright in the Irish tradition who loves words (as, of course, did James Joyce ad infinitum) for the sound of them, the play with them, the associations and the wit, Samuel Becket. Waiting for Godot might come to mind as we watch two Irish hitman arriving in Bruges to lie low after a particularly difficult hit for the newcomer, Ray (Colin Farrell). The flashback to his killing gives us a shock (and the shock is repeated at the end of the film). Ray’s associate is Ken (Brendan Gleeson), an older, more genial man. However, both of them are loyal to their code of killers for hire.

As they hide out in Bruges, Ken is most appreciative of the beauty of the architecture and art of the city. Ray can’t see this at all and is bored. He tags along and listens to the guided tour kinds of speeches but is much more excited at seeing the locations for a film about a dwarf and the young woman on set, who turns out to be dealing drugs to cast and crew.

The waiting for their boss to ring them for the next hit sets up the suspense. We first hear the boss on the phone, a rough gangster who is unscrupulous but also follows the code (as he does, most surprisingly, at the end). He is Harry, played with some venom by Ralph Fiennes.

There are a great number of funny bits in the film which don’t really add to the plot at all but give us glimpses of the two hitmen and their characters – one, a particularly funny criticism of some obese American tourists who want to climb the church tower, works very well and indicates that lines of so-called political correctness are not to the fore. And this is true of the dwarf sequences where Ray continually refers to him as a midget.

There is also a local arms supplier, the dealer’s thug boyfriend and a friendly pregnant hotelkeeper.

Brendan Gleeson is always good and portrays an Irishman with some heart who got caught up in a deadly profession. Colin Farrell is at his best and completely believable as the boyo killer.

In Bruges is both serious and funny. It is thoughtful, something of a meditation on the meaning of life and some awareness of conscience. Despite Ray’s continually running down the wonders of Bruges and likening hell to staying there forever, the local authorities should be pleased at how beautifully it is photographed (with audiences thinking to themselves that they should visit the town).

1. An entertaining film? Critical response?

2. The playwright, the Irish tradition, in-you-face drama, language, eccentricity, the unexpected, the blend of the humorous and serious?

3. The dialogue, the situations, waiting for Godot, life and meaning, violence, art and beauty, death, redemption?

4. Bruges and its beauty, art, architecture, culture? And Ray’s comments?

5. The visual impact of the film, its beauty, the details of the mundane, editing and pace, the violent sequences?

6. The title, Ray’s reaction to Bruges, the contrast with Ken’s, Harry and his memories of a childhood visit to Bruges? A world of criminals, gun dealers, touts, tourists?

7. The detail and the humour as in small anecdotes like the tourists, the interchange at the restaurant, the verbal interchanges?

8. The language, the swearing, Irish and this kind of verbal expression and its effect?

9. Ray and Ken as an odd couple, their arrival, after the jobs in London, hired killers, the hide-out, going to the hotel, sharing the room, Ken trying to sleep, Ray and his thoughtless noise, Marie and her managing of the hotel, her help, taking the message from Harry and her reaction? Ken’s apology? Her later tough stand against Harry?

10. The tours, the canals, Ken and his love of the history, Ray and his damaging remarks? His not going up the tower? The Americans and his ridiculing of them, Ken’s response? The Gallery, the being bored? Going out, seeing the film set, the comments on the midget, the chat with him, his not waving and his violent reaction? The talk of midgets? Chloe and her being on the set, his flirting, the contact? Going to the meal, her boyfriend and his being a thud? The attack? The Canadian, the issue of Chloe’s smoking, Ray’s violent reaction?

11. Harry and his phone call, Harry as a gangster, tough talk, in Bruges when he was seven, his appreciation of the beauty, the scenes at home, his family, his wife’s concern, the children? The contract, his wanting Ken to kill Ray, reprimanding Ken for being out, Ken pretending Ray was in the room and asking him to leave? Ken’s sadness after the phone call, going to the gun dealer, meeting Chloe’s boyfriend?

12. Ray, his memory, the confessional, the priest, confessing, the shooting, the shooting of the priest, the bullet going through him and killing the child, the consequences – and his concern about the pregnant Marie?

13. Political correctness, Ray and his talk of midgets, prostitutes, the brothel, friendship with the midget, the film, the dream sequence, the dwarf’s costumes, the drugs?

14. Harry and his arrival, going into the hotel, encountering Marie, confronting Ken?

15. Ray, his sadness, being haunted by the dead child, in the park, about to shoot himself, Ken stopping him, putting him on the train? The irony of the police accosting him, the Canadians complaining, his return to Bruges? The encounter with Chloe, with the dwarf? Drowning their sorrows?

16. Ray and Ken, Ken, in the tower, the possibility of shooting Ray, a sense of honour, his decision to fall to his death?

17. Ray, the confrontation with Harry? Harry and his code, Ray’s failing in his shooting the priest and the child, the confrontation in the square, Harry shooting Ray, the bullet going through and ironically killing the dwarf behind him? Harry’s reaction, his code, killing himself?

18. Ray, his being saved? Would he change? The relationship with Chloe and her drug dealing? Her boyfriend? His wanting to get out of Bruges?

19. Final comments – Hell being like staying in Bruges? Forever? - Yet the people of Bruges being happy in the way their city was presented visually during the film?