In Bruges: The Sleeping Beauty of 2008
by Jaden
For the past two months, every time I look at the list of movies, I cannot find a single film worth my $10. This weekend, I was visiting a friend in a small town. “We could go to the movies, but I don’t think anything good is playing,” I said. “Read me the list of what’s playing here.”
He read the list to which I answered, “No. No. No. No. Wait, stop; read that one, I haven’t heard of that one.”
The movie was “In Bruges.” He read, “Two hitmen in Belgium–”
“Say no more!” I said. Those few words alone were more interesting than any synopsis I have heard in a long while. (My readers’ pitches on my Sunday Picture Posts are far more interesting than any of the other movies playing.)
All the Oscar hopefuls release their films in December in an effort to be fresh in viewers minds for the Academy Awards. It is impossible to see all the good movies within the one month period of December. I end up missing several exceptional movies and cannot cast my vote fairly when the time comes. This frustrates me every year. In an ideal world, I would like to see one great movie per week. The movies released January through October are generally disappointing.
With renewed hope of seeing a good film, off we went to see In Bruges, knowing only that it was about some assassins in a foreign country. I like to see movies knowing as little as possible to get the full effect of surprise.
Like a heavy European locomotive, In Bruges starts off slowly; un-American with a patient screenwriting formula, it picks up speed and suspense with each scene, until it reaches an exciting multi-climatic ending.
The cast is enjoyable, each bringing his or her own personality to well-written diverse characters. Giving a sensitive performance, Brendan Gleeson stars as the lead assassin. Colin Farrell plays a hitman new to the business. Ralph Fiennes plays the scary top assassin. Clémence Poésy plays the sexy adorable fun love interest. Jordan Prentice, who looks like a short Matt Damon, plays the dwarf and star of the film within the film.
Written and directed by witty Martin McDonagh, In Bruges is the sleeping beauty of 2008. It is a film about which I have heard little and yet have enjoyed the most as we round the bend of the first quarter of 2008.
London-raised Irish writer/director Martin McDonagh won an Oscar (among several other awards) for his film short Six Shooter in 2004. He has no other publicly attributed film credits, though he has received many awards for his theatrical play writing. To me, this signals the start of an amazing film career for Martin — a punk rock fan (yay!) — and I look forward to his future cinematic works.
For people like me who can’t tolerate the usual meaningless gibberish that is unloaded on today’s audiences, In Bruges is a delightful break from the norm of Hollywood’s insulting drivel. Elements in this story are art, culture, travel, filmmaking, history, religion, morals, prejudice, relationships, assassins, family, and dwarves.
One of the many themes McDonagh interweaves into his story is the famous 500-year old painting by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights. Mounted in the Museo Del Prado in Madrid, Spain, I have been blessed to see this magnificent oil on wood triptych painting. Based on bible stories, it depicts the Garden of Eden, Earth, and Hell on Earth. Imagery that still influences artists today, The Garden of Earthly Delights is nothing like the art of its contemporaries from the 1500s. McDonagh dreamily brings Bosch’s astounding work to life while tying it into his story seamlessly.
If you are trying to keep your brain cells operating at an absolute minimum, In Bruges might not be the film for you; but for those who choose to brave the contemplative first half, you will be rewarded by a violent action-filled second half.
In Bruges is intellectual and entertains; it is a strange breed and therefore ranks high on my respect-o-meter.
Martin McDonagh, I promise not to forget In Bruges come voting season 2009! Thank you Focus Features, Blueprint Pictures, Film Four, and Scion Films for the early release and spicing up this drab film quarter of 2008; wish others had your courage!
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15 Responses to “In Bruges: The Sleeping Beauty of 2008”
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I really liked this one too! You can find my review here: http://www.sizzlingpopcorn.com/wordpress/?p=56
JEAN – Thanks. As you note in your review, that I don’t here, the movie is really funny too!
Great film. The last scene though when Ray ponders if he is going to die or maybe that hell/purgatory is like Bruges and then the film ends fixed on the white wall light – is this a homage to “Ascent of the Blessed” from the triptych “Last Judgement” (with I think 3 panels depicting heaven, hell and purgatory)?
“For people like me who can’t tolerate the usual meaningless gibberish that is unloaded on today’s audiences, In Bruges is a delightful break from the norm of Hollywood’s insulting drivel.”
Wow, somebody needs a shag.
THALASSA – Are you offering? I know a good park in Los Feliz. I can bring a blanky for us.
BILL – Interesting observation; perhaps it is. Also, in other earlier Bosch works, there is a Hell frame looks like the tower in the movie. Additionally, a scene near the end of In Bruges is reminiscent to Bosch’s The Fall of the Damned.
My husband and I saw this just today. We had heard nothing about it, but since it was a very hot day and the theater is cool, we decided to try it. Very pleasantly surprised. I must agree that lately, it seems that there is just not much of anything worth the money to go see, even when it is discounted at the second-tier cheap-o theater that we largely frequent. I am hoping to find this on DVD at some point and purchase it. Might even go see it again at the theater (a mark of something really really good in our book.) I do agree that it started out slowly, but was really quite funny and the history of Bruges (again, someplace (ashamed) that I’d never heard of. The scenary/cinematography was beautiful, felt a bit like a travelouge, and certainly made me want visit the city someday.
Good review of a good movie.
PATTY — Thanks. I’m glad you liked it.
Huh, a lot of the reviews suggest that the film tests the patience a bit in the first half but gets more watchable in the second.
I really don’t see that. There is so much witty dialogue near the beginning and suspense while you wait to find out what they are doing in Bruges. With the action filled bits, my feeling is that if they had become any more protracted, the film would have lost the neatness of its structure and probably would have started to drag on.
I appreciate the honesty of the review, but this film is one I believe should always speak for itself, even though this review made me speak up for the film reviewed for the first time ever. I really didn’t even notice that the first half was slow… As far as I’m concerned, this is one of those rare films that will never be pigeon-holed within one genre or be liked by everyone because it is so profound and deals with so many different issues/topics. However, hasty generalizations such as the one in which “the typical American is trying to keep their brain cells operating at an absolute minimum,” is nothing but trash coming from a pretentious person. Negative comments never make a review better, so come off of it.
KELLY — You are right. Good advice.
Great review Jaden. I absolutely loved and enjoyed this movie. It really is a gem and definitely deserves to be recognized by the Academy.
Good review, even better movie.
The contemplative part was actually the real breath of fresh air for me.
The screenplay and the general feeling of the film are great as long as you are ready to embrace a dark, anxious, depressing, grotesque but also amusing, intelligent, tensioned, and inspiring movie.
If you liked the movie I recommend the remarkable film score of Carter Burwell, I was totally impressed during the movie and I had to have it on CD… on the other hand I am a little obsessed with OST’s so… better judge for yourself :)
I was also surprised by the little info and credits that appear on Martin McDonagh however he is only 38 and I also think it’s going to offer us much, much, more.
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It”s a great film and the real star of the show is the city of Bruges itself.