"In Bruges" is Murderously Funny

“In Bruges” (In theaters now) 3.5/5

In a film year marked thus far by action and drama more than anything else, “In Bruges” offers film fans a rare treat—a film both funny and thoughtful. Picking up where “Juno” left off, In Bruges deals with a much different subject matter than Juno did-- Irish hit men and their ability to deal with the after effects of their craft; however, the film’s effectiveness draws from the same strengths that Juno relied on—an ability to interweave whit and thought into something that transcends the modern one note comedy.

In Bruges stars a two man hit men team of Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) who are forced to travel to the Belgian town of Bruges in an attempt to hide out from their most recent murder. While in Bruges, the two men are forced to put up with the other’s biting sense of humor while they gradually come to terms with their violent craft. The two hit men are contracted by Harry (Ralph Fiennes) and they eventually come face to face with him in a hilarious confrontation that somehow makes a blood-soaked gun fight a light and humorous affair. The seriousness of the film is not always at the forefront of the film and is often lost in a storm of one-liners but small snapshots throughout the movie give us glimpses of the struggles that the characters, especially Ray, face.
All of this mixes with a splash of drugs, midgets, and sex to produce a movie that will keep you guessing, and most likely laughing, for its duration.