Bruges was important to the Symbolists–mostly French/Belgians. But the only Brugge-ian (?) I ever met was Flemish–so I’ll use that name if I ever get a chance to visit.
(The movie doesn’t sound like “my type of movie.” But I might go just for the scenery.)
I literally had never heard of this movie until a week ago. Then I read a review of “Slumdog Millionaire” that somehow referred to this film. I Tivoed it and just finished watching it. Except for the fact that I couldn’t understand 2/3rds of the dialogue, I loved it. The plot was never predictable and the city was anything but a shithole. My favorite line:
Harry (to his wife): You’re an inanimate fucking object!"
It actually did finally show in Bangkok, but by then we had watched the DVD. An excellent film.
“Fooking Bruges”
It is a shame this film came out so early last year…doesn’t normally bode well for Oscars…but it truly ranks as one of the Best Films Of The Year!
LOVED this movie. I’ve been in love with McDonagh’s works since I saw The Pillowman, which I actually think has very similar themes to the film.
My favourite line too, Frostillicus. 
I’ve been going back and forth deciding if I wanted to see this film or not, but I think I will now. And I do love that STD infested man-whore Colin Farrell.
It’s Colin Farrell. Will Ferrell, Colin Farrell.
This film made me laugh more than anything else has done in the last 10 years. I too thought the gore was ridiculously OTT and unnecessary, but still didn’t diminish my enjoyment that much.
McDonagh’s actually a very well respected playwright, and has only relatively recently got into movies. He is English but of Irish heritage, and spent a lot of time in Connemara, Co. Galway.
In fact, I liked the movie so much that I’m going to the city of Bruges to check it out, in two weeks’ time!
I loved it too, probably my favourite movie of the year. Funny, dramatic and constantly surprising, with great characters and dialogue. I haven’t seen it since it was on at the cinema, I’m gonna go rent it right now.
My friends and I have never used the word “alcoves” so much since seeing it.
(This is the word, yes, “alcoves”?)
I’m glad someone resurrected this thread. Here are my thoughts in unboxed spoiler form:
• Great film. Excellent performances by the lead actors as well as each of the minor characters.
• I’m not sure of the dividing line between comedy and drama but this film definitely straddles it. It is a ‘comedy’ in the same sense that Fargo is a comedy. Quirky bits of dialogue interspersed with scenes of graphic violence.
• I had no idea that Ralph Fiennes was in the movie and his appearance and menacing performance for the third act ratchets the intensity level up several notches.
As for addressing one of the points in the OP, I saw a clip of this film as part of a critic’s picks for the top ten films of 2008.
The scene was when Fiennes and Collin Farrell are back at the hotel and deciding what their next move would be. During the clip, there was loud, fast-paced metal music which then abruptly shuts off as the hotel manager delivers her line of: “You guys are crazy.” The clip is a classic example of how powerfully and profoundly music can alter the mood of a scene and it made the film appear to be a sort of madcap, whacky crime caper –which it definitely is not.
Exactly. That’s exactly what I said when I saw this thread title. I liked it way more than I thought I would. Farrell doesn’t normally float my boat that much, but this was a good role for him, I think.
Oddly enough, I just watched an odd 1970s vintage vampire flick (Daughters of Darkness) that mentioned Bruges and featured a scene that sure seemed to be filmed in the same locale as “In Bruges” including the same style boats and canals that the two hitmen went sightseeing in. Not like the whole movie was filmed there but Bruges has appeared on screen.
Loved “In Bruges” btw. I liked
The Boss says at one point that if he ever accidently killed a kid during a job he’d blow his brains out. Later believing that he’s killed a kid, he immediately does just that. On the spot. Bad as he was, he was a man of his word.
A brilliant black comedy. It does make Bruges look like a great place to visit, especially for a snowy Christmas. I’d recommend Belgium to anyone, their beer is fantastic, and let’s not forget the chocolate. Oh, and the french fries. And food in general…
I loved loved loved this movie.
I loved this movie but the trailers severely mis-marketed it.
I don’t think I would have seen this movie if I hadn’t seen the trailers on several other DVDs we rented. I didn’t feel misinformed at all about the movie (except that there was tons of violence that wasn’t portrayed in the trailer, but I wasn’t surprised by it when I did see it).
I watched In Bruges a few months ago, and decided that it was a really good movie I never wanted to watch again. I wasn’t spoiled for it beyond knowing the basic story and cast (two hitmen stuck in Bruges, Clemence Poesy gets to act, not just be the blonde opponent/sex object in Goblet of Fire) and the level of violence was… not surprising, exactly, but not something I was prepared for. The only films with modern weaponry (not sci-fi, not pirates, not Old West) I watch with any regularity are Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz- not exactly serious approaches to gun use. The guns in In Bruges are so much more personal and real.
Not that the movie itself seemed very real in parts, but the guns… that was real. And I’m not always comfortable with that, having been raised on mostly sci-fi and the occasional Old West-y thing.
Then I found out that Matt Smith is in it (I mean, now I know who he is) and the Doctor Who fangirl part of me is insisting I re-watch it to see him act.
He is not listed as appearing in it on the IMDB page. Matt Smith - IMDb
I swear IMDB used to have the credit up- he has a “tiny, insignificant” part as the younger version of Harry, according to an interview with the Official London Theatre Guide.
I’m not even sure I remember a young version of Harry, but the credit appears on multiple websites.
I don’t remember any scenes with a young Harry, but it’s been almost a year since I’ve seen it. Or maybe there are deleted scenes on the DVD? Which I need to get.
I was reading through the
[quotes page at IMDB]
(In Bruges (2008) - Quotes - IMDb) and had such a smile on my face. There are so many great quotes, but most of them aren’t one-liners. They’re all great, but this is one of my favorites exchanges between Ken and Ray.