Spring Break
Colin Farrell shines in 'Bruges'
Emotional depth and complete disregard for the standards of political correctness make British import 'In Bruges' a winner.
by Marianna Faynshteyn
Staff Writer
Arts | 3/18/08
Posted online at 1:06 AM EST on 3/18/08
Bruges, in case you're wondering, is a city in Belgium, and, if you're wondering, it rhymes with rouge.
According to a character in the movie, Ray (Colin Farrell), Bruges is hardly impressive, despite its abundance of medieval history and European charm. Then again, it's hard to impress Ray. It's not that he's an elitist, though he does mention Dublin with an assured sense of pride; it's more that he has a childlike sensibility, and what doesn't glitter, shine or entertain doesn't interest him. But after all, he does have plenty on his mind. He and his seasoned fellow hitman Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are sent to Bruges from London after Ray botches his first job. When assigned to whack a priest, Ray gets carried away, shooting the priest several times, and then realizing that he inadvertently shot a little boy. Ray is guilt-ridden, and the abundance of old churches and religious paraphernalia in Bruges doesn't exactly help. As if that weren't enough, Ray is thrust in a bitter fight for his life after his boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) puts in an order for Ray's death because of the unintentional second murder.
Farrell performs at a level that his skeptics-myself included-had doubted he could reach. He sheds his dirty, bad-boy image to be neurotic and awkward, convincingly delivering the line, "I knew a girl like you would never go for a guy like me," properly portraying the insecurities of his character while still sporting his glory in an unbuttoned shirt.
In Bruges is unabashedly politically incorrect, dabbling in bigoted speech from various characters and highlighting the idea of universal prejudices without knocking the audience over the head with it. The dialogue incorporates foreign colloquialisms as well as region-specific humor and indulges in unflattering portrayals of Americans, such as obese tourists and easily peeved restaurant-goers (who turn out to be Canadian). But even in front of an American audience, it receives laughs.
Though at first glance In Bruges seems to be a comedy, the film is too complex and layered to be one that is only meant for laughs. It is more of a morality play, presenting a series of dilemmas, dark characters and interesting personal principles. Being a hitman is treated as an actual profession, and the consequences that accompany the line of work have nothing to do with the law. Harry is a hardened, fearsome criminal, screaming obscenities over the phone to the unassuming pregnant hotel owner as he complains, in third person, about his hitman's disobedience and the hotel's lack of voicemail capabilities. Yet even he has a sense of morality, deciding to kill Ray not because he stumbled on his first gig, but because he, Ray, failed to commit hitman seppuku after mistakengly killing a child.
According to a character in the movie, Ray (Colin Farrell), Bruges is hardly impressive, despite its abundance of medieval history and European charm. Then again, it's hard to impress Ray. It's not that he's an elitist, though he does mention Dublin with an assured sense of pride; it's more that he has a childlike sensibility, and what doesn't glitter, shine or entertain doesn't interest him. But after all, he does have plenty on his mind. He and his seasoned fellow hitman Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are sent to Bruges from London after Ray botches his first job. When assigned to whack a priest, Ray gets carried away, shooting the priest several times, and then realizing that he inadvertently shot a little boy. Ray is guilt-ridden, and the abundance of old churches and religious paraphernalia in Bruges doesn't exactly help. As if that weren't enough, Ray is thrust in a bitter fight for his life after his boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) puts in an order for Ray's death because of the unintentional second murder.
Farrell performs at a level that his skeptics-myself included-had doubted he could reach. He sheds his dirty, bad-boy image to be neurotic and awkward, convincingly delivering the line, "I knew a girl like you would never go for a guy like me," properly portraying the insecurities of his character while still sporting his glory in an unbuttoned shirt.
In Bruges is unabashedly politically incorrect, dabbling in bigoted speech from various characters and highlighting the idea of universal prejudices without knocking the audience over the head with it. The dialogue incorporates foreign colloquialisms as well as region-specific humor and indulges in unflattering portrayals of Americans, such as obese tourists and easily peeved restaurant-goers (who turn out to be Canadian). But even in front of an American audience, it receives laughs.
Though at first glance In Bruges seems to be a comedy, the film is too complex and layered to be one that is only meant for laughs. It is more of a morality play, presenting a series of dilemmas, dark characters and interesting personal principles. Being a hitman is treated as an actual profession, and the consequences that accompany the line of work have nothing to do with the law. Harry is a hardened, fearsome criminal, screaming obscenities over the phone to the unassuming pregnant hotel owner as he complains, in third person, about his hitman's disobedience and the hotel's lack of voicemail capabilities. Yet even he has a sense of morality, deciding to kill Ray not because he stumbled on his first gig, but because he, Ray, failed to commit hitman seppuku after mistakengly killing a child.
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Evan List
posted 3/18/08 @ 10:01 AM EST
While spending a semester abroad in London last Spring I took many a trip through Europe. On one such occasion I found myself in an enchanting city called Bruges. (Continued…)
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