In Bruges

67

Focus Features (107 minutes)
and Martin McDonagh
Colin Farrell , Brendan Gleeson , Ralph Fiennes , and Clemence Posey

Rating: R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use

Summary: Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as he keeps a fatherly eye on Ray's often profanely funny exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the beauty and serenity of the city. But the longer they stay waiting for Harry's call, the more surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American actor shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloe, who may have some dark secrets of her own. And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic proportions and surprisingly emotional consequences. (Focus Features)

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times:
(100) An endlessly surprising, very dark, human comedy, with a plot that cannot be foreseen but only relished.

J.R. Jones
Chicago Reader:
(100) The movie gradually deepens from odd-couple comedy into Catholic-themed drama, but it remains marvelously funny throughout. Instead of hitting the easy notes of black humor, McDonagh skillfully modulates between broad character laughs and the men's piercing anguish as the story nears its bloody conclusion.

Tasha Robinson
The Onion (A.V. Club):
(91) When it's funny, it's hilarious; when it's serious, it's powerful; and either way, it's an endless pleasant surprise.

Claudia Puig
USA Today:
(88) Sharply written, superbly acted, funny and even occasionally touching.

Chris Kaltenbach
Baltimore Sun:
(83) Tightly scripted and intricately plotted, the buddy film manages the neat two-step of being simultaneously profane and engaging.

Damon Wise
Empire:
(80) With In Bruges, the British gangster movie gets a Croydon facelift. It may not be new, but it’s a wonderfully fresh take on a familiar genre: fucked-up, far-out and very, very funny.

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