January 27, 2009: In Bruges
I had been told by a friend for months that I should definitely see In Bruges. I dragged my feet because I don’t know much about Colin Farrell, and while I usually like dryly humorous gangster movies, for some reason the marketing campaign hadn’t coveyed that to me. I finally saw the film when it was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and I’m glad I did. I think this was my favourite out of the movies I saw in the run-up to the Oscars this year.
In Bruges is set, appropriately enough, in Bruges (Belgium), where we meet a couple of English hit men (young whippersnapper Colin Farrell and older and grizzled Brendan Gleeson), who have been sent there by their boss after a job, and told to await further instructions. The idyllic picture-postcard setting is appreciated by Gleeson and lost on Farrell, though both are uneasy about the purpose of their open-ended stay in Belgium. Eventually the reason for the trip is made clear, and things take a dark turn. Their boss (Ralph Fiennes, appearing in three Oscar-nominated films this year, the other two being The Reader and The Duchess) eventually shows up, and all hell eventually breaks loose, in a public square, no less.
The faithful reader knows me as a writer who harps more or less endlessly about Oscar nominations and wins, and I should reiterate that I completely understand that the awards don’t represent a pure and unadulterated view of the highest quality films of a given year. The marketing and glad-handing and bribes play a huge part in this recognition, but the cynic in me views that as just the established way of doing business. Everybody knows that, and the necessary compromises are well understood, so I see it as being a level playing field within that larger context. Measuring the “quality” of films based on any other single source, like Roger Ebert’s reviews or RottenTomatoes.com or Leonard Maltin’s reference book, would be to simply accept different influencing factors. The Oscars are significant, just not always for the reasons they’d like you to think they are.
With that rationalization out of the way, I wanted to comment on In Bruges’ obvious comparisons with Pulp Fiction. 14+ years have gone by since the release of that iconic film, and even casual moviegoers are aware that an insane flood of imitators has been churned out continuously ever since. In Bruges could be classified on the surface as a Pulp Fiction knockoff because of the snappy dialogue among well-dressed gangsters, the overarching code of honour among criminals, and beautiful widescreen photography immersing the viewer into the location. But In Bruges leaps head-and-shoulders above many of the other imitators/homages, and indeed it achieved an Oscar nomination for the very award Pulp Fiction won. That carries some real weight. It lost to Milk in the end, but I wasn’t exactly picking my jaw up off the floor after that announcement. The Best Original Screenplay Oscar is very strange territory, and I take it much more as a suggestion of 5 good movies to watch, rather than one in particular, since its awarding is often politically driven as a consolation prize for a movie which is otherwise mostly snubbed.
So why did I like In Bruges? Well, the story was inventive and seems like it has good replay value. Ralph Fiennes has a nice break from type and chews scenery in a manner totally appropriate to his over-the-top role. There’s a refreshingly feisty and independent female lead, more than just a romantic interest, played by Clemence Poesy (whom some might recall from one or more Harry Potter movies that I skipped). Brendan Gleeson (Hamish, William Wallace’s burly red-headed best friend in Braveheart) is always great – check him out in 28 Days Later as well. There’s a dwarf who is portrayed as a regular guy for a change. The movie is the right mix of darkness and fun.
Mind you, it does nearly go off the rails for a few minutes here and there, which had me worried, but it quickly got back on track. Also, some things are clearly foreshadowed and/or predictable, but that seems to be par for the course. Movies are movies.
In some of my reviews I ramble on a lot, but don’t come up with much of a recommendation either way. If you don’t mind some gangster stuff and violence, absolutely check this one out.
Gangstery fun, great dialogue, see it.
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