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In Bruges (2008)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
29 February 2008 (Poland) moreTagline:
Shoot first. Sightsee later.Plot:
Holed up in Bruges, Belgium after a difficult job, two hit men begin to differ on their views of life and death as they become used to local customs. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 11 wins & 31 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(261 articles)
Cemetery Junction Movie Teaser (From /Film. 9 July 2009, 3:30 PM, PDT)
Ricky Gervais Clumsily Introduces Ralph Fiennes in 'Cemetery Junction' Teaser
(From Cinematical. 9 July 2009, 12:15 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
"They're Filming Midgets..." moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Colin Farrell | ... | Ray Cranham | |
| Brendan Gleeson | ... | Ken Blakely | |
| Ralph Fiennes | ... | Harry Waters | |
| Clémence Poésy | ... | Chloë Villette | |
| Jérémie Renier | ... | Eirik | |
| Thekla Reuten | ... | Marie | |
| Jordan Prentice | ... | Jimmy | |
| Zeljko Ivanek | ... | Canadian Guy | |
| Elizabeth Berrington | ... | Natalie | |
| Rudy Blomme | ... | Ticket Seller | |
| Olivier Bonjour | ... | Film Director | |
| Mark Donovan | ... | Overweight Man | |
| Ann Elsley | ... | Overweight Woman #2 | |
| Jean-Marc Favorin | ... | Policeman | |
| Eric Godon | ... | Yuri |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
107 minColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
UK:18 | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | USA:R (certificate #43954) | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | South Africa:16LV | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Australia:MA | Austria:14 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Chile:14 | Mexico:C | Sweden:15 (TV rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:16 (theatrical rating)Filming Locations:
Brugge, West-Vlaanderen, BelgiumFun Stuff
Trivia:
The painting that occasions comment even from Ray is "The Last Judgment" by Hieronymous Bosch. Bosch-like symbolism recurs throughout the movie (the dwarf is one example), suggesting that Ray and Ken may indeed encounter their own Last Judgment -- or that the waiting period in Bruges is akin to purgatory. moreGoofs:
Continuity: The night before Ken is to meet Yuri, beer bottles are clearly visible on the nightstand between Ray and Ken's beds as they sleep. In the morning when Ken slips out while Ray appears to still be sleeping, the nightstand is vacant. moreQuotes:
[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.
more
Soundtrack:
2000 Miles moreFAQ
What was the relationship with Harry and his father?So is it Bruges or Brugge?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
more
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...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.