In Bruges is one of those films that will completely mind-whip your moral fabric, as it throws you into the lives and whacked out perspectives of two hitmen, one of which (played by Colin Farrell) is on the tale end of a job gone horribly wrong (sorry can't tell you how). Their boss, having found out about this atrocity, sends them to quaint Bruges in Belgium to lie low while things get sorted out. While the elder (Brendan Gleeson) and more experienced of the two enjoys the scenery, Colin Farrell's character is going out of his mind with boredom and dealing with flashbacks of the prior incident of which he is responsible. I can't reveal much more of the plot without ruining things, but let me say that things get very complicated as both men have to deal with reconciling very different moral dilemas and their resulting inward and outward battles. Seriously, there are so many crazy bits in this film that I am dying to write about, but you just gotta see for yourself.
The film has fantastic dialogue that is well matched by every actor, including Ralph Fiennes as their temperamental boss. It adeptly mixed priceless dark comedy with a real sense of human drama. Colin Farrell may have never put together a better performance. Mind you this is NOT the feel good film of the year, but you will laugh, you will cry, and yes there is a midget. Here is the trailer which doesn't do the film justice:
(WARNING--this film is at times very violent, and contains sexual situations (no nudity) and drug usage)
I just have to say that I did enjoy the film but I found the scene where the one hit man jumps from the tower to help Colin Ferrel to be absolutely ridiculous. A selfless and touching? gesture but an absolutely absurd excuse to create a shocking image for the audience. How sad that the worst scene in the movie follows one of the best, where he and Ray Finnes are in the tower quarreling over why they can't kill each other.
ReplyDelete**SPOILERS**While I will say that it is a little over the top...falling from the tower to warn his friend seemed to be his only option at that point. I mean if he was willing to risk death to help him before, why not when your about to die anyway? I would certainly expect the same from you my friend:)
ReplyDeleteR-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S ! How about...I don't know..yelling down....shooting down....anything but jumping down when you are guaranteed to die instantly or at least be knocked senseless until you die within seconds. Nat, I care enough about you that if it came to the same situation I would do anything BUT jumping off the tower which would only succeed in leaveing you with a horrific last image of me in your mind.
ReplyDeleteUmmm, he was already dying and had the opportunity to do one redemptive, selfless act before he did... not a bad choice, I think. And the broken gun he tried to give to Colin Farrell redeemed the comic value of the moment too. Anyway,redemption/sacrifice vs the Law without grace is still pretty powerful stuff in any context.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, Joshua, in this scenario how do you expect me to be motivated to take revenge on your murderer without a horrific last image of you in my head?? As far as shouting and shooting...well I don't think it would be easy to shout after you've been shot in the neck and shooting is just plain reckless..and he wanted to give him his gun, preferably with bullets in it (and not smashed...two out of three ain't bad). Plus personally I would rather die instantly or within seconds then sit up in a tower alone while my blood slowly drains from my body.
ReplyDeleteI'm don't debating the fact that it was a selfless act. I'm saying it was an over the top choice that I didn't really believe a smart character like that that would have made and the outcome of which was complete none sense. People don't splatter onto pavement and them try to talk to you....they can't...they're dead or at least incapable of speech for the split seconds before they die. My point is only that it took the movie into the realm of the cartoonish when it didn't need to. If the writer had wanted to he could have made a better choice and still retained the theme of redemption.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I've heard similar arguments made about the cross...
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ReplyDeleteI was so ready to leave this alone......Faith....I disagree with your evaluation of the situation. First off the entire scene prior to the fall showed how far he was willing to go to help Ray so the splatter scene could have been totally removed from the movie with his selflessness still in tact. Second, shooting a gun down at the street would have been just as effective at alerting Ray to the reality that he was in danger. And please don't say he wouldn't have shot down at the street because he would be afraid of hurting someone because by falling to the street he was even more likely to hit someone than by shooting. AND it would have been faster, AND Ray would have been no more distracted than he was seeing his friend broken into bloody pieces. Third and still the most relevant point to me is that it was a stupid idea. He was shot yes, but collected enough that I believe I remember him buttoning up his jacket before plunging to the ground. He wasn't insane with desperation. The movie shows him evaluating the situation and making a choice. I'm just saying when you have the choice of shooting down at the street to get your friend to run away or jumping down to warn him and "give him a gun" making the choice to jump is ridiculous and I think out of character for this character in this scene in this movie.
ReplyDeleteFor all who disagree and say it's totally logical and fits the film, fine. I'm not saying your dumb for thinking that, I just don't agree with you.
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ReplyDeleteI definitely had to delete my comments because I forgot to give spoiler warnings. Unfortunately, I can't get into subjects like this without spoiling things.
ReplyDelete"SPOILERS"Letting it go...but here's a question. Okay, maybe two.
ReplyDeleteDid Ray definitely die at the end of the film, or was it left open for individual interpretation?
Also, was the midget any more than just a plot device?
Your thoughts? Anyone?