In Bruges (Vastian's Review)

In general I prefer to review bad films because, in the end, insults generally are funnier than praise.

In Bruges makes this stance quite difficult for me. So I'll bitch about what I can.

In the scene when Ray (Colin Farrell) is preparing for his date he has decided to keep his shirt neck buttoned, but in each scene when the camera is on Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and Ray is reflected in the mirror the button is open.

That's it.

In Bruges I am naming as my movie of 2008 (but I am totally willing to accept that something better may come out before the year is out, it is however the best movie so far). To me In Bruges is to this decade what Pulp Fiction was to the 90's, but because it was one of those films that sort of crept up on the public rather than being hyped to the same level where people actually believed that the Arctic Monkeys might be good, it will probably end up as a cult film. Much like Hudson Hawk.

In Bruges is a film that bases itself on surprise, which of course on the dvd viewing left me enjoying the experience slightly less than I did at the cinema, but then the dialogue comes back to slap you in the face with some of the best screen writing seen since Charlton Heston parted the Red Sea.

Personally I love the fact that Ray, even in his most emotional moments still somehow finds a way to insult Bruges. It really is pure genius. Bruges is portrayed almost as a character in this movie, but as the most boring and forgettable character whom you could possibly imagine, much as how Ray sees the city.

Ralph Fiennes as Harry is also particularly enjoyable, mostly because of how much of a bastard he is, or to quote Ken "Harry, and I mean no disrespect here, but you're a cunt. You've always been a cunt, and the only thing that's going to change is that you're going to become more of a cunt. Maybe have some more cunt kids."

Martin McDonagh (writer/director) deserves full credit for breathing new life into the stale two-hitmen-in-a-foreign-land storyline, the script is scathing, un-PC and laced with the most beautiful dark comedy. The character development is deep and the entire film just emanates an aura of "you don't need fancy effects or a huge budget to woo the crowds".

In Bruges is a movie for people who love movies.

Rating: A