“After I killed him, I threw the gun in the Thames and washed the residue off my hands in the bathroom of a Burger King.”
The first line
of the movie quite perfectly sets the tone of this whimsical and sometimes
haunting story.
Set in the
picturesque medieval town of Bruges, the film tells the story of two London
based hit men, Ray and Ken. The film starts on a light note with the two
protagonists coming to Bruges to lie low after a deal that did not work out
well in London. However, what seems like a tedious lay off to the two soon
turns out to be a cryptic maze of morals, emotions, decisions and ethics. The
introduction of the third main character, Harry makes the proceedings even more
intriguing.
Also,
noteworthy is the climax which with its Shakespearean conclusion leaves an
indelible impression. It uses very traditional motifs like honour, pride and
poetic justice.
The pace of
the movie is perfect never getting too slow yet giving enough time for the
characters to grow on you. The script with its Biblical and sometime Gothic
themes is flawless. It has a very strange sense of irony attached to it. The
dialogues are well written especially the banter between the two protagonists which
is as real as any day to day conversation. The casting of Irish actors Colin Farrell
and Brendon Gleeson combined with Ralph Fiennes is an interesting choice. The
camerawork and cinematography are topnotch. Add to that some of best shooting
locations of Europe and a soothing background score.
All in all,
this is a very different experience versus the regular Hollywood fare that one
is so used to watching. It is a fine blend of good old school film making with
some very modern ideas enthused into it. It serves as a gentle reminder of some
great cinema coming from British film makers. A definite watch for people who
are fond of good cinema.
