In Bruges (2008)

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.

Director:

Martin McDonagh

Writer:

Martin McDonagh

Stars:

Elizabeth Berrington, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 35 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Berrington	...	Natalie
Rudy Blomme	...	Ticket Seller
Olivier Bonjour	...	Film Director
Mark Donovan	...	Overweight Man
Ann Elsley	...	Overweight Woman #2
Colin Farrell	...	Ray
Jean-Marc Favorin	...	Policeman (as Jean Mark Favorin)
Ralph Fiennes	...	Harry
Brendan Gleeson	...	Ken
Eric Godon	...	Yuri
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Canadian Guy
Sachi Kimura	...	Imamoto
Anna Madeley	...	Denise
Louis Nummy	...	Harry's child #3
Clémence Poésy	...	Chloe

Storyline

London based hit men Ray and Ken are told by their boss Harry Waters to lie low in Bruges, Belgium for up to two weeks following their latest hit, which resulted in the death of an innocent bystander. Harry will be in touch with further instructions. While they wait for Harry's call, Ken, following Harry's advice, takes in the sights of the medieval city with great appreciation. But the charms of Bruges are lost on the simpler Ray, who is already despondent over the innocent death, especially as it was his first job. Things change for Ray when he meets Chloe, part of a film crew shooting a movie starring an American dwarf named Jimmy. When Harry's instructions arrive, Ken, for whom the job is directed, isn't sure if he can carry out the new job, especially as he has gained a new appreciation of life from his stay in the fairytale Bruges. While Ken waits for the inevitable arrival into Bruges of an angry Harry, who feels he must clean up matters on his own, Ray is dealing with his own ...

---

Plot Keywords:

christmas | death | canadian | dwarf | bruges belgium | 

---

Taglines:

Shoot first. Sightsee later.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

18 April 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

Escondidos en Brujas

Filming Locations:

Brugge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£343,760 (UK) (7 March 2008)

Gross:

$7,757,130 (USA) (13 June 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blueprint Pictures, Film4, Focus Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film has a total of 4 actors who also appeared together in the Harry Potter series: Ralph Fiennes (Harry), who plays Lord Voldemort; Brendan Gleeson (Ken), who plays Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody; Clémence Poésy (Chloe), who plays Fleur Delacour; Ciarán Hinds (The Priest), who plays Aberforth Dumbledore. Fiennes, Gleeson, and Poesy all appear in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, though none of them share dialog together. Fiennes, Gleeson, and Poesy again appear together in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, while Fiennes, Poesy, and Hinds all appear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Fleur Delacour's re-appearance is also largely due to her marriage to Bill Weasley, who is played by Brendan Gleeson's son, Domhnall Gleeson.

---

Goofs

When Ray is preparing for his date with Chloe and is checking himself in the mirror, he is trying to decide whether to leave his top button open or button it. He decides to button it, then turns to Ken for approval and the camera cuts to a different angle. You can see in his reflection in the mirror that his top button is open. When he faces the mirror again and the screen cuts back, it is buttoned again.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Ray: After I killed him, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter the instructions came through - "Get the fuck out of London, you dumb fucks. Get to Bruges." I didn't even know where Bruges fucking was.
[pause]
Ray: It's in Belgium.

---

Crazy Credits

In the on-screen credits, Kathy Heaser is listed twice as Graphic Designer.

---

Connections

References Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

---

Soundtracks

"St John the Gambler"
Written & Performed by Townes van Zandt (as Townes Van Zandt)
Courtesy of Fat Possum Records, LLC

User Reviews

"They're Filming Midgets..."

...in Bruges. Two Irish hit men (Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell) are sent into hiding by their British boss (Ralph Fiennes) in Bruges, Belgium after a botched job only to learn that the most damning job awaits one of them just around the corner. Bruges is a picturesque tourist trap built around the oldest and best maintained medieval city in Belgium. Director and screenwriter Martin McDonagh bleeds the setting and the material for all its worth and makes his feature film debut in superb style.

The dark comedy built around the existential quandaries of hit men has been done to death over the years. If last summer's "You Kill Me" was the relentlessly dark and relentlessly sitcom-y take on the genre, then "In Bruges" is the hipster art film take on the theme. McDonagh deserves all the credit in the world for breathing life into the stale story by texturing the tonal shifts with crisp digital camera-work (that is surprisingly haunting), deep character development, and by creating a wonderful sense of place. Imagine a Graham Greene novel ("Brighton Rock" specifically comes to mind) modernized by David Mamet. The dialog is super smart and wickedly un-PC while the comedy parts are as gut-busting as the crime thriller parts are suspenseful.

McDonagh has also brought together an outstanding cast who thrive in the material. Farrell defies all odds and manages to be as sympathetic in the dramatic parts as he is charmingly sarcastic in the comedic parts. Brendan Gleeson gives a fantastically nuanced portrayal as Farrell's mentor and friend. Meanwhile, Ralph Fiennes channels the scary-as-hell energy he's used previously in "Schindler's List" and the recent "Harry Potter" films in a limber subversion that is a frighteningly fun to watch. The supporting cast is to die for, with Jordan Prentice spot-on as a coked-up dwarf actor shooting an abhorrent art film on the streets of Bruges, and Clemence Poesy coyly seductive and unforgettable as Farrell's unlikely local love interest.

Ultimately "In Bruges" meanders down too many cobblestone paths, and one scene near the end involving a bell tower stretches credibility but adds necessary dramatic effect. Certain plot elements will turn off a large segment of the viewing audience. However, those with the right mindset will be greatly rewarded. "In Bruges" is hilarious, contemplative, sometimes scathing, often nihilistic, but marked by a shockingly hopeful undercurrent while tones shift and the colors of the human condition undulate in McDonagh's insightful light. The arrival of a commanding talent has been heralded...in Bruges.