
Movies & TV
Share
Published 11:41 5 Dec 2017 GMT
It's also worth noting that in this era of PC-friendly films, McDonagh's film stands out because it's the complete opposite. Midgets (Ray's word), fat people, hookers, hitmen, skinheads, loud tourists, gangsters, drug dealers, gay beers, Chinese lollipop men, Americans, Canadians, Vietnamese people and Tottenham are all insulted at some point but the genius of In Bruges isn't the laughs, it's the pathos and humanity.
Ok, what's it about? Guilt-stricken after a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.
Balancing drama and comedy is a supremely difficult thing to do and it's a testament to the superb performances of Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell that 10 years after its release, In Bruges still resonates and makes you laugh and think in equal measure.
Looking at things objectively, we really shouldn't like these characters. They're ruthless and violent murderers but christ almighty, who wouldn't want to spend time in their company?
Gleeson has always been an actor of tremendous integrity, humanity, and substance and he channels all of these qualities while playing the world-weary and protective Ken. As People Magazine said in their review: "Gleeson reminds us that the best acting always looks like no acting at all."
On the other side of this is Farrell's wonderfully anarchic, stroppy and child-like performance as Ray. Channeling his best Father Dougal impression, Farrell has never been better on screen as he balances the bellyaching laughs with some soul-crushing lows in this award-winning performance.
It's nearly been a decade since In Bruges was released and only The Guard - directed by Martin McDonagh's brother, John Michael - has managed to come close to capturing this warped, hilarious and depressingly accurate take on the world.
Laughter and sadness are rarely far apart, In Bruges understands this better than most.
These critics agree:
Express - "Gleeson is a delight and Farrell gives his best performance in ages, capturing both the unrepentant philistine and endearing vulnerability at war in the tormented Ray."
Wall Street Journal - "I never expected to be moved by In Bruges, but I was."
USA Today - "It is easily one of the best debut feature films in recent memory. The notion of a pair of hit men cooling their heels as they're forced to play tourist in a picture-postcard town is clever enough. But as the story unspools, it grows more intriguing."
LA Times - "In Bruges manages to toy with cliche while avoiding it entirely."
Since being added to Netflix, it's clear that very few films can incite such love and reverence.
https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/937812306406379521
https://twitter.com/TestSubjectNerd/status/937411941353566214
https://twitter.com/ciarannorrr/status/937806532426821632
https://twitter.com/TheActiniums/status/937446342481367041
https://twitter.com/RohanWolsey/status/937180514225618944
https://twitter.com/imkylenotliam/status/937386522420137984
https://twitter.com/mrjammyjamjar3/status/937314653406945281
New ‘intense and twisty’ TV show remake of classic thriller streaming now
The star-studded new TV show is a remake of one of Martin Scorsese’s best thriller movies. Apple TV has just released Cape Fear, a new and star-studded TV show remake of Martin Scorsese’s classic thriller movie. Consisting of 10 episodes, the plot synopsis for the series states: “A storm is coming for happily married attorneys […]
Movies & TV
18h
One of the best sci-fi movies of the decade is on TV tonight
Made by an Oscar-winning filmmaker, some have even called it one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century. Nope, the excellent 2022 sci-fi thriller movie from Oscar-winning filmmaker Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us), is airing on TV tonight (Friday, 5 June). With its title standing for ‘Not of Planet Earth’, Nope revolves around […]
Movies & TV
22h
Christian Bale war movie with 90% on Rotten Tomatoes is on TV tonight
Movies & TV