In Bruges

If you have seen the poster or the advert then you probably have a good idea of what this film is about, a couple of gangsters get sent to Bruges one loves it one absolutely hates it and much mayhem and mischief follows. A veritable mixed kebab of comedy and crime. The crime often instilling a couple of laughs in the viewer as well.

Great bit of casting in this film. Colin Farrel does a great job as Ray the bored, broody, visceral and troubled 'Ray' who hates Bruges and all the 'fairytale' connotations that go with the Medieval city. As the central character to the story its essential that there is a decent connection with this character and the acting and script deliver spectacularly. His position as a bored child looking to cause trouble is brilliantly opposed by Brendan Gleesons 'Ken'. Ken is your typical dad on holiday wanting to go to all the churches and 'places of interest'. His father figure is continuously interrupted by the fact he is a gangster and this adds lots of comedy moments like when he decides to bosh a load of cocaine, which has just been stolen from Ray after his date tries to rob him! The significance of the relationship is essential in the discussions that they have about death and highlights the naivety of Ray and his fear of death brilliantly against Ken's older wiser mentality.

The relationship between the two main characters is, apart from the hilarious dialogue, the thing that holds the film together so well. If it wasn't for this relationship and the bond you experience through it the film would feel like a load of midget jokes and swearing and not much else (fuck is used on average 1.18 times a minute!!!). Ralph Feinnes also does a great Ben Kingsley impression as their crazy but brutally loyal boss 'Harry'.

There are also some brilliant scenes involving jimmy (the racist, prostitute loving, ketamine fuelled Midget) and Chloe (Rays love interest) and a very linguistically astute Arms Dealer. The hilarious dialogue keeps the film going along brilliantly and is interrupted by some great action scenes and a couple of brutal deaths. Here are a couple of the best pieces of dialogue from the film:

Ken: [Ray walks into the bar high on cocaine] How'd your date go?
Ray: My date involved two instances of extreme violence, one instance of her hand on my cock and my finger up her thing which lasted all too briefly - and then I was away - , one instance of me stealing five grams of very high-quality cocaine and one instance of me blinding a poofy little skinhead: so all in all... my evening pretty much balanced out, fine.

Ray: A lot of midgets tend to kill themselves. A disproportionate amount, actually. Hervé Villechaize off of Fantasy Island. I think somebody from the Time Bandits did. I suppose they must get really sad about like... being really little and that... people looking at them, laughing at them, calling them names. You know, "short arse". There's another famous midget. I miss him but I can't remember. It's not the R2D2 man; no, he's still going. I hope your midget doesn't kill himself. Your dream sequence will be fucked.
Chlo: He doesn't like being called a midget. He prefers dwarf.
Ray: This is exactly my point! People going around calling you a midget when you want to be called a dwarf. Of course you're going to blow your head off.

Overall a good watch and a great mix of serious and silly conversation and testing questions about life and retribution. I recommend it.

7/10