"I Finally Saw...In Bruges"

In Bruges (2008) is one of those films that everyone, both twitter and real life friends, kept telling me to see but I never got around to. I finally saw it this week, in my Existential Literature class of all places and I now know why it got all the hype it did.

"Maybe that's what Hell is: the entire rest of eternity stuck in fucking Bruges."- Ray

First of all the cast is amazing. Half of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire cast is in the film so right there is a good indication of the caliber of actor in this film. Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are amazing in their roles as hit men with hearts. Since I watched both of the films in the same day, I can compare them and In Bruges has the character depth that Children of Men completely lacked. Gleeson and Farrell are so flawed and at the same time so real. They are also immensely likeable men. Ralph Fiennes is also pure evil as always, as Harry the hitman with a code of ethics.
The setting was amazing. The opening with its long sweeping shots of the cathedrals and canals really helped to establish the tone of the film and added a fluid movement that ran throughout the film. The slow establishing shots of the setting contrasted well with the quick action shots that came later on.

I think the thing I liked most about In Bruges was the emotional force that it brought. It was one of those films that made you laugh and then cry only moments later. It was both hysterically funny and deeply emotional and it is so rare that films can pull both those emotions off well. Since I watched it for class we spent a lot of time discussing the deeper themes and the issues of morality and choices that occur throughout the film. It did really make one think.
There was really very little I disliked about the film. It was worth the hype that everyone attributed to it. Everything from the music to script was spot on and everything was made better by the
Review: No milk required