Movies / Movie Reviews

In Bruges

By Hervé St-Louis
April 14, 2008 - 20:21

Genres: Action/Adventure, Art/Foreign, Comedy and Drama
Running Time: 1 hr. 47 min.
Release Date: February 8th, 2008 (limited)
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use.
Distributors: Focus Features
Cast and Credits
Starring:     Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy, Jeremie Renier
Directed by:     Martin McDonagh
Produced by:     Tessa Ross, Jeff Abberley, Julia Blackman



In Bruges is the story of Ray, a hired killer who just did his first job and has been sent to the medieval town of Bruges, Belgium, to lay low for a while until the dust settles. Accompanying him is fellow assassin Ken. But Ray hates the calm and folksy town of Bruges, that is, until he finds love.  But Ray’s boss, Harry has plans for Ray, and Bruges may be the last time he has a chance at happiness, before he has to die.



Ray, played by Collin Farrell was a contrarian and quite funny. He’s not a complicated character. He just hates Bruges.  Plagued by guilt, he allows himself to mellow out a bit in the old town. I was surprised at the acting range of Collin Farrell here. He’s delivered a performance that was both nuanced and delightful.  Unlike some of the blockbusters in which he performed earlier, he had plenty of room to show his acting skills and gain more respect from film viewers like me. But his performance would not have been complete without a great sounding board like Brendan Gleeson who plays Ken. A tenured actor, his calm and experienced tone, was the perfect opposite of Farrell’s neurotic and disturbed character. Rounding up the trio of great performance was Ralph Fiennes in the role of Harry, Ray’s boss who showed that he could play type A character without any problems and swear at every possible turn.



Obviously, In Bruges is a story of redemption and second chances and it’s interesting to see to what length Ken was willing to help out his friend to give him the opportunity of a better life. This movie was also good on several other levels. The town of Bruges was as much a character as any and its inhabitants, strong-willed and resourceful. This film also tackled ethnic stereotypes and had a lot of great one liner.



This film may not be for the action-oriented crowd, but it is neither a chick movie. It’s the type of film that you see after a few beers and re-enact some of the wily dialogues later with friends.



Visually, the many shots showed the beauty of Bruges but the cinematography also showed the restricted and suffocating aspect of this town. For example, the bread and breakfast where Ray and Ken stay looks like something that was decorated in the 1960s. It’s stuffy and smells of old. The wetness and humidity of the town could be felt easily. One caveat for some viewers, there are several gory and bloody scenes during the climax and the resolution. Sensible film viewers may want to skip that movie if violence is an issue.

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 - 16:51