In Bruges (2008)

Disappointing, awful... with misleading packaging and advertising.

If you go by the DVD packaging, or what a few of the 5-star reviewers have said about it, you'd assume that "In Bruges" is a slap-stick, hyperkinetic, gangster comedy in the tradition of Guy Ritchie films. This assessment couldn't be more misleading; "In Bruges" is a sluggishly paced, pensive, and largely quiet film full of long, slow wide angle takes, needlessly offensive dialog, and barely any comedy and action. Of the "thrilling chases" advertised, there is only one very poorly shot, very brief, and very poorly sequenced chase scene; similarly, there is one tired and particularly laborious shootout that drags on interminably.

Misleading packaging aside, this film is for folks who thought "Snatch" or "Lock, Stock" were about crass, bumbling, tough British gangsters who speak in near-impenetrably slanged cockney and are involved in an array of over-the-top schemes with unbelievably eccentric people, all of whom have crossed and will ultimately reckon with an entertainingly menacing, irredeemably bad guy. Certainly, the Ritchie films are about these things, and certainly "In Bruges" has a few of these elements (near-impenetrable cockney; crass, bumbling gangsters; pretty heroin dealers and a prostitute hiring/coke snorting midget for eccentric friends; and a weakly nasty, temperamental bad guy), but in "In Bruges" they're just window dressings, signifiers telling chiefly American audience members: "I kind of look and sound like those clever and funny Guy Ritchie films! I must just as clever and funny!" In truth, "In Bruges" lacks the smart language play that Ritchie's first films display, it isn't at all as tightly plotted nor as well scripted and fast paced, plot elements are clumsily forced to advance the story, and with the exception of Colin Farrell's grief over his mistaken slaying of a little boy, most of the actors are going through the motions, barely buying into their characters themselves. If you regard it as belonging to that context, the film's a failure; if you can remove it from that context and just watch it for what it is, it's still pretty awful.

If you're looking for a lazily realized British gangster film that's slow paced, poorly shot, and barely a comedy, this one's for you. If you're looking for a smart, fun, taut caper or heist movie, look elsewhere. July 22, 2008

Comedy or dramedy?

The previews in theaters presented this as a clever, funny British comedy. Period. But be warned: It's very, very dark too, and there's nothing to laugh about by the end. That said, it's very well done, has some great tossed off lines, and some great characterizations. It's really quite violent and full of profanity, so if either are a turn-off to you, skip it. But if you can stomach occasional harsh violence and some really fun potty-mouthed dialog, definitely see this. July 21, 2008

Hell must be spending the rest of eternity in Bruges (ok, and yes, purgatory must be Tottenham)

Another delightful little British black gangster comedy. Think of: Sexy Biest. Snatch. Layer Cake. These guys have figured it out. Usually high class actors (here R.Fiennes, who is much more convincing as a bad guy than otherwise, and the quite capable Colin F., who had been a bit overrated for a while, but he really is quite talented).
A basically simple plot (a hit man has screwed up, causing collateral damage; the boss needs to remove him, orders the partner to get it done, which turns out a problem...) runs into obstacles because the protagonists develop unexpected attitudes. Slapstick with guns.
(Disclaimer: let me add that the headline is not my opinion, but a quote from Colin Farrell's character Ray, who thinks that Bruges is a s-hole; I fully disagree with that crass opinion, Bruges is as nice a place as you are likely to find in the whole of Belgium. On Tottenham I am not an expert.)

July 20, 2008

"You're an inanimate object!!!"

What can I say? I loved this movie. I'm not a Colin Farrell fan but this dark comedy was bloody brilliant. The dialogue was so witty and full of offbeat and politically incorrect humor. July 18, 2008

If it's Tuesday, this must be a Boschian nightmare

It's hard to believe, but it's been 14 years since Pulp Fiction was unleashed on an unsuspecting public. So what can we glean from this little factoid? What hath Tarantino wrought? Well, for one thing, the genre tag "hit man comedy" has now officially entered the cinematic lexicon. And, by the looks of things, (love it or loathe it) it is here to stay.

The latest example is a film that reportedly, er, knocked `em dead at the 2008 Sundance festival-Martin McDonagh's In Bruges. A pair of Irish hit men, Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and Ray (Colin Farrell) have botched a job in London and are exiled to the Belgian city of Bruges, where they are ordered to lay low and await judgment from their piqued Dublin employer (Ray Fiennes).

Ken is enamored by the "fairy tale" ambience of Bruges, with its intricate canals and well-preserved medieval architecture, and decides to go the tourist route. The ADD-afflicted Ray, on the other hand, fails to see the appeal of "old buildings" and would just as soon plant himself in front of a pint for the duration of his purgatory. Initially, Ken lures the reluctant Ray into joining him for sightseeing with the promise of some pub time afterwards. However, it quickly becomes evident that Ray lacks any kind of discernible social filter, displaying a general disregard for local mores and folkways. Ken decides that the best way to stay low profile would be to let Ray pass time as he wishes.

In order to avoid spoilers, I won't elaborate much more on what ensues, other than to say that Ray wanders off and finds himself a love interest and enjoys escapades like a coke binge with a "racist dwarf" while Ken finds himself thrust into a moral and ethical dilemma that fuels the dramatic turn of the film's final third. Toss some heaping tablespoons of raging Catholic guilt, existentialism 101 and winking Hieronymus Bosch references into the mix, and voila! (The Sundance crowd swoons...)

So what exactly has McDonagh cooked up here? Well, as much as I'd like to be able to tell you that it's "an original dish", I'd have to call it more of a "sampler plate" featuring a generous wedge of Quentin Tarantino and a few tidbits of Guy Ritchie, sprinkled with a taste of Brendan Behan. If you're a fan of dark (very dark) Irish humor, you'll likely get a few decent chuckles out of playwright McDonagh's brash and brassy dialog (and marvel at his creative use of the "f"-word as a noun, adverb, super verb and adjective). Unfortunately, the humor doesn't fold so well into the mix with the generous dollops of dramatic bathos and queasy violence. Also, some of the more decidedly un-PC jokes fall terribly flat.

That being said, there are some strong performances here, almost in spite of the film's uneven tone. Gleeson and Farrell vibe a Laurel and Hardy dynamic together that works very well; you almost expect the doughy, exasperated Gleeson to exclaim "Well, it's a fine mess you've gotten us into!" every time Farrell throws more gas on the fire with another one of his Tourette's-like outbursts. Farrell has not previously impressed me as a nuanced performer, but in this film he proves to be quite deft at navigating the tricky waters of black comedy (that unibrow sure comes in handy). Gleeson (a world-class actor) is superb as always. Fiennes, who seems to be channeling Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast (by way of Michael Caine) goes way over the top with his archetypical caricature of a "hard" Cockney gangster, but he appears to be having a grand old time just the same.

I had an "OK" time on my little Belgian excursion with Ray and Ken; and the location filming does make for a great travelogue, as Bruges truly is a beautiful city-but In Bruges may not be the ideal cinematic getaway for all tastes. A guarded recommendation.
July 17, 2008

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