Yesterday we had a quiet evening at home and watched In Bruges, director Martin McDonagh’s latest film shot in the most well-preserved medieval city in Belgium.
Ray (Collin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are two hit men who, after a failed mission in England, flee to Bruges to wait for further instructions from their boss. Stuck in a double room at a fully booked hotel over Christmas, they do what tourists in Bruges do – sight see. While Ken prefers cathedrals, old buildings, and admiring the view from the Belfry tower (Belfort), a medieval bell tower on the market square of Bruges, Ray wants to drink beer at the pub and get to know the Belgian actress/drug-dealer Chloë.
The film starts off great, with beautiful shots of Bruges, witty dialogue and Farrell’s excellent comedic timing. One of the characters says Bruges is a fairytale place, and that if it wasn’t in Belgium there would be too many tourists visiting and spoil its charm.
Bruges is still on my ‘to-visit’ list, but after watching In Bruges I’d say the town is more like a fairytale place than a tourist-trap. At least so far.
One more thing, in this case the movie is way better than the trailer.
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ian in hamburg
1 year ago
We rented that movie a while ago and loved the way they showed off the best parts of the city. It makes you want to go! Too bad the movie was so full of gratuitous violence. It could have been such a better story.
Erica Johansson
1 year ago
@ian, I also loved those bits when they showed off the best of Bruges. The historical part was beautiful and I liked the boat scene with Ray and Ken on the canal – everything seemed so serene.
I didn’t mind the violence though. I didn’t expect Ken to get shot by Harry (their boss) in the tower, but I liked how he despite being dying forced himself up the stairs to attempt to shoot Harry before he could kill Ray. His fall was not fun to watch though! I wasn’t expecting Ray to get shot in the end either, and was almost disappointed because I had always seen him as the guy who would make it without getting hurt – despite his guilt over his previous failed assignment. At one point – as he was running over the square – I didn’t know whether he’d make it or not, but ultimately I think they pulled off a great ending. Somehow I think the violence partly made the story (the film would probably have been a bit lame without it), and I liked the combination of grittiness and comedy.
Gennaro
1 year ago
I saw it in the theaters last year and laughed throughout the film. Beautiful scenes of the city too. There was quite a bit of violence, but for today’s standards it was nothing unusual. The comedy aspects definately distract from the violence. My girlfriend had a similar take on it.
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Erica Johansson
1 year ago
@Gennaro, It was hard not to laugh in certain scenes. I loved that part when Ray sits on a bench outside the Belfry tower and the Americans approach him. So funny! And yes, the comedy did distract from the violence. I think they managed to keep just the right balance between those two aspects from beginning to end.
Nomadic Matt
1 year ago
I love this movie. its hysterical. maybe that is what hell is- life in bruges lol
Nomadic Matt’s last blog post..The Secret to Long Term Traveling
Ian
1 year ago
Great Film, will watch it again soon.