In Bruges, written and directed by Martin McDonagh

In Bruges, written and directed by Martin McDonagh

In Bruges is a very dark comedy that may remind one of Pulp Fiction, Seven Psychopaths, for, although it is not so violent and there are not that many killings in Bruges, it shares with the aforementioned a somber, outré humor.

The writer- director of this motion picture has been nominated for the academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay, the film has received three Golden Globe nominations – for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical – for Brendan Gleeson- and won the Golden Globe in the latter category for the other nominee- Colin Farrell.

Brendan Gleeson is outstanding as Ken, a hit man who has been ordered by his boss, Harry Waters, played by the incredible titan Ralph Fiennes- who reminds the public of his performance in Schindler’s List and proves yet again that he can be the romantic lead, as in The English Patient, the lunatic villain, as here, the comic as in The Budapest Hotel- to travel to Bruges.

Ray aka the Golden globe winner Colin Farrell has made an accidental mistake on his last job, where he went to see this priest, with devilish jest he confesses to a murder and when asked by the pastor who has he killed, the hired gun says – “you, father” and takes his gun out.

Alas, with the dead clergyman, that may or may not have done something to justify in some small percentage the killing, a child of about six is also murdered, hit by one of the bullets destined for the priest.

Ray would suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and guilt, remorse because of his accidental killing of the boy and he is so depressed that he becomes suicidal…if we are to use the jocular tone of the movie, even in regards to serious issues; it is also because he hates Bruges.

Harry has ordered Ken to take Ray to Belgium, following the horrendous blunder and murder of the boy – along with the intended target- and they expect that they will get clarification, perhaps orders to kill someone in this interesting city in continental Europe.

Whereas Ken is enchanted by the medieval town and is of the opinion that it is lucky to be situated in Belgium, where fewer tourists flood in and therefore the charm is better protected, Ray is almost horrified and feels this is as close to hell as one can get.

Ken insists that they take in the great town and do sightseeing, while Ray is more than reluctant and he is wrong, for as they walk along the medieval part, a film is produced there and he has the chance to see a splendid woman that attracts him immensely.

There is also a Lilliputian man, who will part of the plot, to begin with, the very short man is used as a pretext for conversation by the young man who wants something to talk about – and joke- with the gorgeous Chloe aka Clemence Poesy.

Ray mentions some statistics he may have picked up somewhere, talking in politically incorrect terms about midgets – albeit, the very short character will later prove he is a racist, at least under the influence of drugs- and their penchant for definitive acts, he claims that they have suicidal tendencies.

The young woman seems uninterested for a while, but when she departs, she throws in the air a card with her name and telephone number and then two establish a date for the following evening.

When the two hit men return at their hotel, there is an offensive message from the mobster, who has at number one in the note- his annoyance with not finding them in the room, second point- deals with expletives like f*** on the matter of having to call such a lousy hotel, where he cannot leave messages in the rooms, but has to go through the receptionist.

There is a PS – “I am not the receptionist, I own the f****** hotel with my husband”, evidently written by the woman who had to put down the abuse from Charlie the Boss and the Evil party in this feature.

Ken tells Ray about the note and the necessity of being in the room, the next evening, when their superior would call, to which the younger killer retorts that only one needs to be present and mentions he has to meet the resplendent girl he has just met.

To do that, the older hit man imposes the condition that the following day they would observe the program he has in mind, which includes too much culture for the taste of the wild, rebel Ray, who has to take in the Church of the Holy Blood- was it? – where a crusader returned with the blood of Christ, kept in a recipient in the church, which becomes fluid at intervals, when the situation was grave, as a sort of divine warning, if we are to believe that.

Events have been rare in the first part, but they precipitate once Chloe and Ray meet, and they confess to what they do, only it seems in jest to each other, the man punches a neighbor, he is attacked by the partner in crime of the woman he dates, shoots him in the eye, while his friend Ken receives the order to kill the other hit man, for his mistake on the previous job.

In this wild ride we have drugs, the very small man and the prostitute he has brought from Amsterdam, an exchange of insults, sexist and discriminatory remarks, a suicide and murder attempt, the arrival of the despicable Harry and a few confrontations, runs and weird jokes- a few involves Americans and one Canadian, some obese individuals who want to make it to the top of the old tower…all in very unusual and effective mix.