Not much waffling ‘In Bruges’
Life can really surprise you sometimes. Like this week when I had a shocking revelation that caused me to redefine myself. I was forced to come to terms with the strange-but-true fact that I really like Colin Farrell. It has been a shock to those close to me, and I won’t say it has always been easy dealing with the repercussions of my decision (Do I have to buy “Alexander” on Blu-ray now? And what exactly is Blu-ray again?) But I think I will be happier in the long run.
One of the things that makes me happy is “In Bruges,” a hilarious, but surprisingly, warm dark comedy that truly is very funny and extremely dark. In the post-Tarentino world of film, that term usually just means that you will laugh if you think it’s funny when characters die in inventively grotesque ways, but this film gets laughs from a little trick called writing, and a special effect known as characterization. It is just a little bit inventively grotesque.
Farrell stars as a London hitman banished with his partner to Bruges, Belgium, after a child got caught in his crossfire. This film is interesting because it is predicated on a very strict moral code of professional criminals and murderers. Killing is a big part of their world, but there are still certain rules that govern their behavior.
Brendan Gleeson (he plays Mad-Eye Moody in the Harry Potter films) plays Farrell’s more experienced partner, and exemplifies this cock-eyed morality. He is a murderer with some otherwise very good qualities, and his protective tenderness towards Farrell is the key relationship of the film.
Meanwhile, while it turns out that Farrell may be kind of washed up as a hunky leading man, that’s good news because it allows him to be hilarious. His character, Ray, is an utterly ignorant man-child, bored and restless in the picturesque Bruges. His insensitive enthusiasm when he spots a midget or a pretty girl is actually endearing. He is a sweet dolt, and, in his gnawing remorse for his actions, we forgive him.
With those two as a charming odd couple and Ray pursuing an equally amoral love interest, their idyll is interrupted by their ruthless boss, played by Ralph Fiennes. He is shown at home, on Christmas day with his family, and we see how these people view themselves, as businessmen. There is something oddly brilliant about Fiennes’ character; he is capable and successful, but Fiennes gives him just a hint of dorkiness. He’s not an impossibly sleek monster.
A showdown in Bruges brings events together with several satisfying twists. The rules unique to the gangsters’ game become more explicit as they go after one another. Meanwhile, the older men can’t get over how lovely the scenery in Bruges is. I can’t get over how funny this movie is. It is a find on par with the fabulous “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” and I unequivocally recommend renting it. Maybe you, to, will convert to a born-again Colin Farrell lover. I am starting a support group for us.
Mobile’s film coup, The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Film, will begin again Sept. 11 at Bernheim Hall in the Ben May Main Library with Mohammed Naqvi’s “Shame.” It is a documentary concerning the incredible story of 30-year-old Mukhtaran Mai, a Pakistani woman sentenced to horrible punishment for a crime allegedly committed by her brother.
The film follows her struggle to change a shockingly unfair system and Mai’s tragic journey and redemptive transformation into a human rights icon and a local leader for social change.
“Shame” has received numerous awards, including a Television Academy Honor presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The screening begins at 7 p.m. For more information call 208-7097.
Contact Asia Frey at afrey@lagniappemobile.com.
Archives
The Reel World
