In Bruges
Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson
Direction: Martin McDonagh
Rating: Three and a half
A thriller about two hit men forced to keep a low profile in a scenic town in Belgium, In Bruges mixes the buddy-buddy charm of Sideways (2004) with the harrowing violence of Pulp Fiction (1994) and Sexy Beast (2000). The outcome is a pretty enjoyable cocktail.
One of the hit men is the trigger-happy Dubliner (Farrell). The other (Gleeson) is determined to make the most of the city’s cultural attractions. However, the pair’s ‘vacation’ routine rapidly disintegrates with the arrival of their psychopathic boss (Ralph Fiennes). Indeed, the blood-splattered climax is harrowing.
Playwright-turned-director McDonagh sets up several tense situations ranging from encounters with a drug-addled dwarf to a liaison with a duplicitous moll (lustily performed by Clemence Poesy).
Both Farrell and Gleeson are in fine form. Fiennes is suitably sinister. Slicky photographed, In Bruges is a stylish entertainer. Recommended viewing.