Rate It
|
||||||||||||||||
Rating Averages
My Friends |
Not rated. () |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
All Flixster |
(20055) |
10192 |
13231 |
Female |
(5870) |
2983 |
3872 |
Male |
(14185) |
7209 |
9359 |
More Like This
If you liked this, then you'll also probably like...
Got another recommendation for someone who liked this movie? Add it to the list!
Got an opinion? Use the buttons to vote on all the suggestions people have added.
If lots of people vote, the best suggestions will rise to the top.
| Pulp Fiction (58%) |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Snatch. (75%) |
|
|
| The Truth About Charlie (22%) |
|
|
| The Baker (25%) |
|
|
| Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (71%) |
|
|
Plot:
Bruges (pronounced "broozh"), the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travelers from all over the world. But for hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and K...( read more 
)
Skin art by
AgentOfChaos2132. Unskin this page.
Meet Other Fans
ONLINE NOW
Recent Reviews
-
MCT:August 17, 2008
The trailer for this film would suggest fair like 2007's Shoot 'Em blood bath with a bit dark sense of humor. Instead, this film is totally different. No fast killing starts off this film, but a bit of profanity and a strangely tortured main character named Ray, who is supposedly a hit man. Things do not become crystal clear until about midway and then things take off crescendos to a slam-bang finish full of blood, but that is not what makes the film. What makes the film is its bitingly sharp sense of black humor where characters are mean to those around them trying to get away from their own problems. I never thought I would come away impressed by a Colin Farrell film, but this film made me immensely mirthful and laugh hard than I have for a while over this winter season of films. It is sad, but has a nice message packaged inside, which takes its time to get to the surface.
-
MCT:August 16, 2008
If more people had seen this movie (well, it seems like 95% of my friends list on netflix and flixster already did), it would probably be quoted a hell of a lot more.
I really loved Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson's scenes. The humor is great (racism *heart*) and the violence isn't gratuitous but enough to wince at. -
MCT:August 16, 2008
I liked everything about this movie The main storyline, the characters, the scrip, the atmosphere , acting,... and I also liked the symbolism in it purgatory,heaven & hell
there are a few flaws & unconvincing moments but I don't care -
MCT:August 16, 2008Looking back now I find the trailer for this film to be a bit misleading. Yes, the movie has its funny parts, some of the dialoges are even outright hilarious. To promote it as a gangster comedy, like you could do with Guy Richie's films for example, doesn't exactly do it justice though. The general mood of this film is deeply melancholic, the soundtrack and the beautiful, unusual setting of Bruges make sure of that. The city almost becomes another main character with its unique atmosphere. The acting is top notch, especially by Gleeson and Fiennes, who is creating a very unusual villain character. Merely Ferrell's expressions feel a bit over the top sometimes. The script is smart and enthralling. Only the ending made me feel a little let down and could have been a lot more surprising. Still, definitely worth seeing.
-
MCT:August 15, 2008
I did not expect much from this movie. I'd pretty much given up on Colin Farrell, but the fact that the brilliant Brendan Gleeson and more brilliant (or at least more handsome) Ralph Fiennes were involved urged me to pick up this DVD. I happened to watch this film alone, and it is one of the rare ones that I actually laughed out loud throughout (much to the dismay of my cat, who was sure I was losing my mind, finally.) This movie is black comedy at its blackest--and funniest. Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson) are hitmen working for Harry (Fiennes). On his first hit (on a priest, no less), Ray accidentally kills a 6-year-old boy. Harry has Ken take Ray to hide out in Bruges, Belgium, which is an authentic medieval town, without even a bowling alley for entertainment. Ken and Ray have almost a father-son relationship and spend their time waxing philosophical about the spiritual ramifications of their livelihood. The story builds to the climax as Harry reveals that he intends to have Ken kill Ray because, accidental or not, Harry sees the death of the small boy as an unforgivable sin. Throw in some drugs, prostitutes, and a midget (and an incredible number of uses of 4-letter-words that only Irishmen can pull off), and you have one of the funniest tragedies I've seen in a long time.
-
MCT:August 15, 2008
Ray: "What are they doing over there? They're filming something. They're filming midgets!
Ken: Ray...
[Ray runs off and watches Jimmy being instructed by the director, who Jimmy flicks off as soon as he leaves]
Ken: Ray, come on. Let's go.
Ray: Fuck off, Ken. They're filming midgets."
Bruges, the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travellers from all over the world. But for hit men Ray and Ken, it could be their final destination; a difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right before Christmas by their London boss Harry to go and cool their heels in the storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks. Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as he keeps a fatherly eye on Ray's often profanely funny exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the beauty and serenity of the city. But the longer they stay waiting for Harry's call, the more surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American actor shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloë, who may have some dark secrets of her own. And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic proportions and surprisingly emotional consequences.
Ken: "We shall strike a balance between culture and fun.
Ray: Somehow I believe, Ken, that the balance shall tip in the favor of culture, like a big fat fucking retarded fucking black girl on a see-saw opposite...a dwarf."
Helping to maintain that balance are the strong central performances from Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Taken separately, their work here is highly impressive is Farrell nails the quicksilver mood changes of his character and turns in one of the strongest turns of his career and Gleeson, while having the less overtly flashy role, anchors the entire story with the kind of grave and quiet demeanor that says more than mere words ever could. However, as good as they are on their own, they are even better when they are playing off of each other the two are perfectly in sync with each other right from the start and their double act is alternately hilarious and strangely touching to behold.
Policeman: [to Ray, who is trying to escape from Bruges on the train] "Are you Irish?
Ray: Yea.
Policeman: What is your name?
Ray: Er-Derek Fer... ler.
Policeman: You eet the Canadian.
Ray: What?
Policeman: You eet the Canadian.
Ray: I eat the Canadian? I don't know what you're talking about.
[the policeman motions down the compartment toward more policemen and the two Canadian tourists whom Ray beat up earlier]
Canadian Guy: That's the motherfucker!
Policeman: Come along. We are taking you back to Bruges.
Ray: Brilliant."
Instead of sticking with this basic plot and trying to stretch it out into an entire film, he deploys that particular twist from earlier in the proceedings and thereby frees his story to go off in any number of unexpected directions. Other advantage is that it frees the film to go off on any number of amusingly oddball tangents, there is an especially funny sequence in which the aforementioned dwarf turns up in a drug haze to clumsily advocate a race war that he hasn't quite thought all the way through and while it doesn't really push the story forward in any significant way. There is quite a bit more to In Bruges than these hitmen nattering on about the town and their comic interactions with locals, ranging from charming drug dealers to a dwarf American actor, and it's in Ray's occasional bursts of frightful sadness that it starts to come out. McDonagh starts teasing away the layers to the characters' pasts, the real reasons why they've come to Bruges, and the judgment that awaits once they get that call from Harry.
Ken: [Ray walks into the bar high on cocaine] "How was your date?
Ray: Well, it started off with me bein' thrown out of a restaurant for pickin' a fight, then leading up to the young miss's hand on me cock, but then gettin' interrupted by her skinhead boyfriend, so on average I'd say it went fine." -
MCT:August 13, 2008
I thought it was a solidly entertaining film despite a misleading trailer which made it seem like it was going to be a fast, full-on Snatch-ish movie which it isn't. The film definitely does have quite a bit of comedy in it (hit or miss, some incredibly racist (though mostly funny) jokes) but it also has quite a bit of more straightforward drama - you immediately get the feeling that this is a different movie from the trailer with the opening notes of the contemplative score courtesy of the awesome Carter Burwell.
The first 40 minutes or so will be hit or miss with people as it is notably aimless compared to most movies I've seen (it literally is Farrell and Gleeson wandering aimlessly around Bruges for the most part waiting for orders). That section mostly sets up the characters and their relationships and while I found it easy to watch, it probably could've been tightened. All that said, there is a kind of point to the aimlessness of that part of the movie but for some people, that won't be a good enough reason to excuse it.
The whole movie may feel a little skimpy on story and it could partially be due to the fact that the movie very much feels like something that would be written for the stage (no surprise considering the writer/director of the film is a playwright as well). And characters somehow randomly appear whenever they are needed (though it doesn't really interfere with my enjoyment). Once the movie picks up though, it gets really good and the story starts to come together nicely. While there are a few predictable elements in the film, it doesn't matter too much as the last thirty or so minutes are thrillingly entertaining and hold some excellent scenes. Performances are great across the board but I would recommend NOT watching the trailer for In Bruges before seeing it because it will make you wait for things that don't happen until far into the film (ie: a lot of the footage in the trailer comes from the second half). -
MCT:August 13, 2008
Another case of failed marketing. The trailer for this film did nothing to interest me, but I finally saw it based on a glowing recommendation. I'm glad I did.
The film is at times alternately laugh-out-loud funny and touchingly dramatic. Its success hinges greatly on the performance and chemistry of its two leads, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, and both do phenomenal jobs (especially Farrell) helped by a witty script by Martin McDonagh. It had a very "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" feel to it.
Colin Farrell's role is an excellent departure from his usual characters, this one odd, hilarious, and almost child-like. I would love to see him (and Brendan Gleeson) score Oscar nominations for their performances in this film... but they won't. -
MCT:August 13, 2008
A warning to people who have seen the trailer. It is a very misleading trailer. The trailer makes this movie look like its a straight comedy with a hitman twist. But this is actually a very dark movie. Yes, it is also incredibly funny, but it is also surprinsingly dark. I too was lead to believe from the trailer that it would be just funny all the way through with just a hint of darkness with violence. BUt it has a dark twisted spine running through all the way with its wicked sense of humour supplying the electricity of the central nervous system! It tells the story of two hitmen, Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and Ray (Colin Farrell), who are told to go to Bruges to stay undercover for a while due to Ray accidently shooting a little boy. This doesn't help Ray's mental state, it makes him suicidal. It also doesn't help that he is a tricky buger to please. He is the type of guy who would prefer to go around pubs, brothels and kick the shit in ot americans and anybody weilding a bottle regardless of gender. Whilst Ken is the type of guy who seems to nice to be a hitman, he enjoys the history and culture of the Belgium of town of Bruges. But when they get thier call from thier boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes), it becomes a matter of life and death. The first is where it is at its lowest point. It is a funny, but nothing much happens, you don't know anything about these guys yet so it feels abit empty. BUt things start to pick up when more depth is added to the characters and Ray starts galibanting about. This is when it is probably at its funniest. The tone does become alot darker when Harry heads into Bruges. This is when the violence starts to really pick up. It retains the humour it just the stakes become higher as there is more at risk. The ending is cleverly irratating, leaving you on edging for the edge of your seat, its then like they swipe the seat from straight under you. I'm going to comment on the performances now, I'll start ith Farrell. This is defiantly his movie. He makes the character his own and this is his finest performance in my opinion. He seems so comfortable with what is going on, with the humour, the script, everything. He gives a genuine performance, something he needs to do alot more of. As I said, Gleeson seems to nice to be a hitman. Which he is. You get the impression the only reason he is a hitman is due to his debt to Harry, you feel that this isn't really him and that he wishes to be someone else. In a way he is going through redemption as much as Ray is. You feel sympathy for both of them, which makes one scene mor effective. Ralph Fiennes is a laugh as Harry, great accent and look. He does make the character shine as a true twat, which is really what he is. But he has a very belated introduction, he deserves more screen time. This movie will defiantly split people right down the middle. Some people will find it hysrerical, others will probably be incredibly offended. It takes the mick out of midgets (sorry dwarf), fat people, americans and Belgium and probably alot more if I really sat down and looked over it. So be warned with that. Plus, it is an extremely bad advert for a holiday in Bruges. Come to the land filled with dwarves, brothels, hitmen and sexy drug dealers. The black comedy land of twisted funny entertainment, only In Bruges.
-
MCT:August 13, 2008
absolutely banging. you cannot beat british films and this one is right up at the top of the tree. perfect dialogue, beautifully shot and it deals wonderfully with idea that being a hitman isnt all its cracked up to be with the dryest wit since pulp fiction. gleeson and farrell make the perfect 'odd couple' loved it :)
-
MCT:August 13, 2008
I failed to see the deadpan humor others saw in this crime drama. I was startled by the the beautiful symmetry of the ending which takes the story full circle with Ralph Fiennes playing a grotesque mobster stuck on principles.
-
MCT:August 12, 2008
There have been so many American comedies about love-starved hit men, alcoholic hit men, intellectual hit men and every other kind of kooky hit men, that one tends to forget that these people commit murder for a living. People wind up dead in their wake, and the killers have to deal with the psychological realities of killing. But most of these movies skirt these ugly truths, fearing they might get in the way of the comedy or the romance or whatever.
But then you get a movie like In Bruges, which gazes directly into the abyss of hired killers and how their job affects them. Which is not to say that In Bruges isn't hilarious and unpredictable because it definatly is, its just that In Bruges was marketed as a much faster-paced shoot-'em-up kind of flick than it ultimately was. This is not a bad thing, it just came as a surprise. However, like the enjoyment of Bruges the city, taking it slow and savoring the quieter moments brings a great deal of pleasure in the copious details.
So, the basic plot is Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson are two Irish hitmen hiding out after a botched job. Ferrell is his cocky self, a rookie in a sexy, dangerous profession, who is finally getting a sense of what he really signed up for. Gleeson is an old hand, but also has learned to appreciate the beauty when there's so much ugliness elsewhere. They're sent to Bruges by their terrifying boss (Ralph Fiennes) who stays off camera for far too long. When Fiennes is talking, the energy and comedy of the movie definitely spikes.
After a whirlwind of chuckles, profanities, moments of depth, and painfully beautiful footage of this gorgeous medieval Flemish city, Fiennes finally appears. He's one of the most dangerous hitman I've seen portrayed on screen, but for some reason he made me roll laughing with every word he said.
In Bruges somehow manages to never stop being brutally funny, while also becoming tragically bleak. -
MCT:August 11, 2008
I found this very funny and so did all my male friends. Unfortunately their spouses didn't. Considering that this is a mans film.
-
MCT:August 11, 2008
Two hitmen are ordered to lay low in Bruges (Belgium) after a hit goes wrong. While Ray (Farrell) hates the place and puts it on equal terms as Hell, Ken (Glesson) loves being a tourist for the fortnight they're there. Lots of swearing and some great lines, great film.
-
MCT:August 11, 2008''I grew up in Dublin, and I love Dublin. If I had grown up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me. But I didn't, so it doesn't.''
Sent to and staying In Bruges, Belgium after a difficult job, two hit men reconcile with each other after a Job in the past goes wrong. Things get complicated as their boss gives the call for his latest order...
Colin Farrell: Ray
Brendan Gleeson: Ken
Ralph Fiennes: Harry
May i start by saying In Bruges is the best black comedy from the British Isles this year currently, which is like our equivalent of Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang except In Brudges mixes that with emotion, shocking events that transpire and a level of Drama that can only be pulled off by English/UK actors.
Ralph Fiennes as Harry doesn't even appear till the 2nd act and before he's even on screen, his letter, his phone call elevate the film into the stratosphere and beyond injecting a demented dark humour thats already present in the mix. His London accent and his teeth! Two things that instantly prove to me what a chameleon Ralph truly is and definitely a talent for playing a villain as well as a hero in films. He's a pleasure to watch in this, his character Harry(Ironic i know) makes his Lord Voldemort in the Potter series seem abit of a pussy.
Colin Farrell as the troubled protagonist Ray who wants to go out drinking and merry making, as the story goes on we found out a terrible revelation that will shock and cause emotion involving a priest and a boy.
His one liner's will crack a smile out of audiences, his Irish tones made me feel at home right away.
Brendan Gleeson as Ken also deserves a mention for his thoughtful depiction of a character who has a love of history, moralistic and also a good sparring partner for Colin cracking jokes that appeal to your dark side.
A Midget, Prostitutes, a fight in a restaurant, Ray annoying Ken with his light turning on antics as he returns home late, Harry having a elevated fit of rage in front of his family, an explosive conclusion of shoot out proportions and piano playing accompaniment that is a refreshing add to all the chaotic happenings...What more could you want to fulfill all that you desire in a film.
In Bruges ends the best way a film heaven doth allow, which is it doesn't really have an end, it leaves it up to your imagination to conclude what happens...''There's a Christmas tree somewhere in London with a bunch presents underneath it that'll never be opened. And I thought, if I survive all of this, I'd go to that house, apologize to the mother there, and accept whatever punishment she chose for me: prison, death. Didn't matter. Because at least in prison and at least in death, you know, I wouldn't be in fuckin' Bruges. But then, like a flash, it came to me. And I realized, fuck man, maybe that's what hell is: the entire rest of eternity spent in fuckin' Bruges. And I really, really hoped I wouldn't die. I really, really hoped I wouldn't die.'' -
MCT:August 10, 2008
I only picked this movie up because I believe that Colin Farrel is one of the best actors out there. Having said that, he has made some pretty horrible films recently. This, however, does not fit into that category.
In Bruges is hillarious! Colin Farrel is a comedic genius! Everything from his quarky, rude, blunt, oneliners, to his stupid facial expressions and clueless nature was pure gold!
The movie was beyond hillarious, but more than that, it was surprising, touching, and even though the film dumps on the poor city, I think that the scenery was incredible! It kinda makes me want to go and see Bruges myself. Let's just hope I can manage to keep myself alive... -
MCT:August 10, 2008
Good movie.
But I gotta say... the way they advertised this film they made it look more like a comedy than anything else. But really it's more drama than comedy.
There are funny parts, yes, but the way the trailer for this film was set up was quite deceiving. I'm not disappointed though, it's still good.
Fuckin' Colin Farrell, love him or hate him, good actor.
I personally like him.
Um, the "baddie" in this one played by Ralph Finnes, reminded me a lot of Ben Kingsley.
Finnes' character in this film also reminded me a lot of Ben Kingsley's character in Sexy Beast.... but that's just me and I wanted to throw that out there.
Hm. One sort of element of "comic relief" used in this film are politically incorrect comments sprinkled throughout the film. From time to time I make politically incorrect comments mostly as jokes, so most of the ones in here made me giggle. Especially one in particular that played on the characters' detest for Americans... there is a certain part that really plays on that and it is golden, and if you watch this you might know which one I am referring to.
But yeah, dramatic... some funny bits... lots of cursing..... sad/ambiguous ending.
It's a good watch.
Check it out.
:p -
MCT:August 10, 2008A brilliant black comedy that successfully moves from character-driven shenanigans to suspenseful thriller. For all its very snappy dialogue and daringly crass humor, In Bruges aims to be about, in one character's words, "guilt and sins and hell and all that."
Doesn't need to be too hip or too cool to be damn good. -
MCT:August 9, 2008
The madness of events intersecting could only been done in a European setting, especially British. It is a modern Shakespeare play on words with a tragic ending interspersed with comic relief.
I fought seeing it but was glad I did.
Must see. -
MCT:August 9, 2008This is a common case of bad advertising, but I didn't watch it expecting anything after watching the duet of drivel I had watched before this flick.
What makes me kinda like this film was the unexpected emotion between Farrell and Gleeson. Feinnes is like Kingsley in Sexy Beast, meaning he was damn good.
The film is shot reasonably well and this was a pleasant surprise. I've got my problems, but it's worth a rental. Nothing more.
My Friends Said...
In Bruges Recent Reviews
Register or sign-in to see your friends' reviews !
Comments
-
MaydayKoigoposted 66 days ago -
A friendof mine & myself last night decided to go see a film, with no plans in mind of what to see.
After both quashing each others first couple choices, we agreed on this, since neither of us had any idea what it was about, but both said "Colin Farrell, cant be that bad".
What it was, was the BEST movie I have seen in a longtime that I had no expectations about. Funny as hell. Serious at the same time. It had midgets (uhh, dwarves), hookers, conmen/conwomen, hitmen, and so much more. It was random froms tart to end, but tied the whole package together well at the end. Comedic genius.
I cant figure out who the people are that have this down to only 3.5 stars, but they clearly are too politically correct to find ANYTHING funny, and thus hated this, because it does manage to poke fun at probably every race imaginable. But you still laugh when you heaqr it, because the delivery was great.
AA+++posted 183 days ago -
I SAW THE TRAILER AND IT LOOKED SOO FUNNY. I WANNA SEE IT. COLIN FARRELL HOTTTT.
posted 192 days ago -
Official sites for In Bruges (2008)
http://www.filminfocus.com/focus-movies/in-bruges/movie-splash.phpposted 196 days ago -
I was on the set. This film is frickin' awesome. Everybody better go see it.
posted 213 days ago -
i lived in bruges for 2 years and its not a stupid city !
but good movie i think .. but its not a stupid city !!!!!! :pposted 220 days ago
