In Bruges: A Different Type of Hitman

Farrell in his best performance to date

In Bruges (2008)
Dir. Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes
Grade: A

Is there anything that Ralph Fiennes can’t do? That’s what I kept wondering after seeing the fantastic “In Bruges” last night. The film, one of the best of the year, follows two hit-men from Dublin who, after a botched job, are sent to Bruges in Belgium by Harry (Fiennes). Ray (Farrell), who presumably has only ventured as far as London in his life, sees Bruges as a veritable hell, while Ken (Gleeson) decides to make the best of it and to become a model tourist, taking in all the historical sites with genuine joy. At first the men are not sure why foul-mouthed Harry sent them to Bruges, but when the real reason emerges, Ken is faced with some life-changing decisions that affect every single character in the film.

These characters include a beautiful woman who sells drugs to a film crew, a little person who stars in the film, a pregnant hotel owner, and a mysterious man who owns an impressive arsenal of weaponry. Most of the exchanges between the characters are, quite simply, offensively hilarious (check out any political correctness at the door). And yet, there is a depth to the concepts of the film that stay with the audience: life and death, good and bad – they all overlap with one another to create a wonderfully vivid disorderly world.

The performances are top notch. Farrell has never been better. He has some of the funniest lines in the film, but also a tragic back-story that haunts his every move. He is as funny as he is heartbreaking. Gleeson is even better as Ken – there is not one false moment in his performance.

And the there’s Mr. Fiennes, who gives the funniest performance of the film. Every word, every inflection, every movement emanating from this man is pure comedic gold. And even then he manages to be scary. We first hear Harry on the phone or through voice over narration. A particular message left with the hotel’s receptionist owner is one of the highlights of the performance in its crassness and grandiosity. Fiennes is phenomenal – too bad his performance will most likely be ignored come Oscar time, but what else is new when it comes to him? It boggles the mind.