In Bruges features two hit men (Farrell and Gleeson) sent to the eponymous city after a botched shooting in London. Whilst Ray (played by Farrell) is bored and restless in the Belgium city, Ken appreciates the timeless beauty of Bruges and enjoys the tourism trail.
Although labelled as a laugh out loud black comedy, In Bruges is by far deeper than that as the two debate the morality of killing another man for money. Ken attempts to justify himself by claiming to have only killed bad men, or in self-defence; he is still aware of his sins. McDonagh’s cleverly layered plot is in evidence here, as this intellectual conversation sparks a joke that is to be repeated throughout the plot. This can be seen as epitomising In Bruges, as it never gets too deep to avoid being funny; it never gets too funny to stop the audience thinking.
McDonagh’s quest to avoid clichés becomes apparent early on in the film. Whilst Ray could be seen at first as glamourising a professional assassin – he is young, handsome, easily bored by sightseeing and seemingly comfortable with his life – the darkness inside him soon becomes apparent. In Ray we see one of Farrell’s finest performances, as he must attempt to come to terms with what he has done. Farrell’s portrayal of Ray is one of astonishing scope as we see his anger, his grief, his passion, and in the dying moments of the film, his optimism.
As events in the film start to spiral out of control and the climax approaches, the integrity of characters is tested, characters whom conventional society would condemn for their lack of morals. Within the murky society of In Bruges there is another layer of morality, and with these men there are lines that must not be crossed.
In Bruges could be criticised for the level of violence and swearing McDonagh has produced, and this is certainly not a film for children. It does, however, feature these whilst being very funny. The brilliant blend of comedy and pathos means this entertaining film is far removed from typical gangster movie territory.
