On most days in Boston, it's rare to hear about an upcoming war between white and black dwarves. Even if one keeps in mind that dwarf is an improbable euphemism for midget, that the war is going to be part of a larger war of people of all races (versus the white dwarves and their fellows), and that this is all occurring in a movie set not in Boston but Bruges, Belgium, such a statement can seem refreshing, but still odd.
"Refreshing but odd" can sum up the experience of watching "In Bruges" (2008). From the opening lines, Ray (played by Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) weave a delightful spell over their audience, interspersing absurdly comedic moments (complete, of course, with a cameo appearance by fat Americans) with the dark violence expected of a movie about two hitmen.
Martin McDonagh's opener for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival starts with our two soon-to-be favorite hitmen, Ray and Ken, banished by their mysterious London-based employer, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), to sit tight after the botched murder of a priest. With that opening, we are brought into the incredibly beautiful world of Bruges, complete with iconic images that could just as easily be of Neuschwanstein or any other of the Swan King's fairy-tale castles.
As the mist fades in and out of the rustic setting, we learn the back story of our two hitmen, their mysterious employer and the random stars of a night-time movie shoot on a Bruges corner, all of whom become part and parcel of this slowly meandering story. While there isn't quite enough blood for die-hard "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (2003) fans, this definitely is no "Jarhead" (2005). Bloody shoot-out action is interspersed throughout and is prominently featured in the vaguely appropriate ending.
The action and comedic interaction of the main characters is a pleasure, but the real attraction of this movie is in Farrell's startling performance. The jittery, guilt-stricken Ray is a far cry from the relatively one-sided characters Farrell portrayed in movies like Phone Booth (2002) and Daredevil (2003). With remarkable on-screen chemistry with his fellow actors, Farrell seems extremely real and relatable, a difficult task when the audience is full of spasmodic college students and the character being portrayed is a Dublin-based hitman.
Of course, a comedic action-drama is a tall order, and it doesn't succeed at all times. The emotion in characters' lines is generally on the mark. However, McDonagh as a director has a few misses; it would not be difficult to find oneself laughing at the real tears coming out of Farrell's eyes. Of course, half the theater will probably be in a similar state, so it will not be an awkward one-sided miscue. This kind of black comedy is where "In Bruges" really excels.
Looking at it holistically, "In Bruges" is a delightfully silly, oh-that's-why-I'm-not-a-hitman fiasco of a show. A bit too many coincidences and Gleeson's self-sacrificing tendencies as Ken are a bit hard to swallow (he is a hitman, after all), but Farrell's performance as Ray absolutely sparkles.
Though the audience may be left wondering what exactly was up with those alcoves in the park, even the manliest men will walk away satisfied. Clémence Poésy (Fleur Delacour in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005)) parades around, and there are plenty of dum-dum bullets in action. Yes, that means a head with no face, exposed brains and more blood than an episode of "Dexter." "In Bruges" comes at a perfect time when there is a lull in the movie-making industry, so what could be more enticing than a couple comedic hitmen?
