In Bruges is a strange film that mixes a lot of seemingly conflicted elements frequently, swinging frequently between farcical exchanges and high stakes suspense/action. Surprisingly, it pulls this off very well. It's a film that simultaneously depicts events that would only happen in a movie happening alongside things that would happen in anyone's daily life, especially while traveling. I would go so far as to say that it's a very enjoyable travel film in and of itself in addition to being a genuinely good and weird black comedy.
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| I suppose one could say that the vacation has gone a bit off course after a few days... |
Now as a good chunk of the film's genius is how it reveals its story I won't give many details, but I'll give the general premise. In its most basic form, the story is about two Irish hitmen who are on vacation in Bruges, but they have very different ideas of what constitutes a fun vacation. Both hitmen are very distinct and unique from another, and both are given equal importance and focus in the plot, though the younger is the pin that the plot revolves around. The banter (more goodnatured and occasionally impatient bickering) between these two is very entertaining, and frequently reminded me of traveling with my brother. Much of the first and second acts are taken up by these two trying to enjoy/make the most of their vacation, and these were probably my favorite scenes alongside the the scenes with their boss. However,
In Bruges has more than just entertaining banter and scenes, it's packed with themes (even if they're supposedly for seventh-grade book reports). The most prominent ones that we see are that of consequence, regret, and honor. These are notable due to how well shown and communicated they are throughout the film, especially the theme of consequences. If a character does anything, or talks to anybody, you can bet your ass that they're going to show up again (often in a completely unexpected manner). It feels like a play at many times, and with that you can expect a lot of hilarious, tearful, and (oh God is there a lot) of cringe-filled scenes, but the story itself, along with its organic development, is really quite enjoyable throughout its ninety minute run.
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| Though Harry is laughably self-serious, Ralph Fiennes brings a sense of dread and menace that keeps you guessing if he's dead serious or not throughout the film. |
In terms of aesthetics and sound, this film does a good job, though there's little that really stuck out to me. The music is dreamlike and airy, and coupled with the relative quiet of Bruges helps make the setting feel like some sort of purgatory. The camerawork is largely by the book, though at times it takes on a homemade travel-film quality occasionally when the camera follows the actors, sort of like there's a third person on their vacation (or their problems following them). The lighting is natural, immersive, and always matches the situation with really no out of place situations that I noticed. The few times when creative work is done, that there's an unusual effect shown, it's always something to do with the environment, like the movie set scenes, in which we see a lot of etherial and dreamlike lights/effects. Apart from that, there's nothing much to say about
In Bruges in these regards. It's a well-made film that makes sure to have the audience's focus be on the characters and story, not the background stuff, which is another compliment.
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| If you have trouble following the themes of film, In Bruges makes them really well known and obvious, and is something of a lesson in that regard. |
In Bruges is a film that I would recommend to anyone, especially lovers of more artsy films. Now don't worry, it's not very artsy, it just requires that you pay attention to fully understand/catch how the story unfolds. Hell, it might even be a good introduction to artsy films, but I'm no authority on that. It's really good, watch it, at the very least you'll see a bit of Bruges, and who wouldn't want to see Bruges? It's fuckin' fairytale stuff.
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