RojoIn Bruges
I have never liked Colin Farrell. His Irish bad boy charm has done nothing other than annoy me, his smoking during interviews his cursing just made me go “what a big gay Irishman”. But…..
‘In Bruges’ Farrell shows trace amounts of range and this range made him endearing, and makes me totally reconsider my previous thoughts. I am now a Colin Farrell fan, amazing how one movie can sway me!
Other from Farrell’s performance the things that makes this film brilliant is the script, the photograph and its setting. Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play gangsters escaping from a hit gone wrong, as the film unfolds before us we learn of the mishap and we see how this mishap has effected Farrell (Ray) and how he try’s to deal with the consequences of his actions.
Bruges is a small medieval town in Belgium that acts as a type of purgatory for the two characters. Both men are dead men walking both men know that death is around the corner for them and both are trying to atone for the actions that led them to Bruge. Sent to Bruge by Harry Waters (a cameo superbly played by Ralph Finnes) to hide out as the heat dies down in London where they have committed there heinous act, the two men begin to pursue their own delights. Ken (Gleeson) is soaking in the history of Bruges where Ray is trying to find the best time in an ostensibly quiet town. Ray finds love and friendship but try as he may is unable to find redemption. Ray is haunted by what he has done and Ken’s telling him that he didn’t mean to commit the act he has does nothing to soften the blow.
While the script and the story are outstanding I have to give it to Farrell in this film. He reminded me of Chris O’Dowd from the IT crowd (if you haven’t seen this TV series I recommend it very highly). I quickly forgot this was the Colin Farrell I was use to, I liked him so much because, well, he was so likeable. Making him more likable was his delivery of the script.
“One beer for me and one gay beer for my friend because he is a big gay man”
This is another gem of a film, a total NON-waste of time.
8.5/10
