The Haute Critique on Spout

Under discussion:

In Bruges  (2008)

In Fucking Bruges!?!

My wife has been there, and that is the only reason I know it is in Belgium. The movie garnered a fist full of ‘Best Screenplay‘ nominations, including an Oscar nod. And it is… both set in Belgium and well written.

We get the gist pretty quick, two Brit mob killers are sent to cool their heels in Bruges after a hit goes awry. One is an older sensible fellow, the other the brash young one who was obviously responsible for whatever the ****-up was. The odd couple pairing could play like every other incarnation… Oh, the sensible one likes culture and the oafish one doesn’t. The traditional formula is quite simple. Circumstances force opposing personalities together. They clash in humorous ways until a challenge appears for both of them. By embracing their differences, they overcome and gain a great appreciation for each other. For ‘In Bruges “>In Bruges‘, you might as well stuff that in your pipe and smoke it, because that isn’t the gig. Somehow, through the cunning use of Collin Farrell’s eyebrows, In Bruges “>In Bruges escapes that cliche. And having conquered the cliche, it embraces Belgium, and what it is famous for. That is, it gets a bit weird. They are filming midgets.

The first signal you will be leaving the station is the dog. If you are in the right frame of mind, you’ll know. When the black dog looks up at you, something freaky stirs in your cranium. The director puts little clues there to say,”Ok, my green thumbs in the audience, you aren’t forgotten.” By the time it degenerates into a rehash of suicidal midget karate race wars doing cocaine with strippers you are well settled.

What was a bit laborious in the first half of the movie becomes snappy dialog by Act III. Improbable plot twists limbo just beneath the bar of implausibility. By the end, even those enormous eyebrows become believable.

There are some laughs to be had. Not gut busters, but more like David Mamet style chuckles. The wordy style and plot driven indie fare isn’t for everyone, but if those are in your sites, this film will not disappoint.

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