- In Bruges is a neo-Shakespearian tragicomedy disguised by advertisements as a crime thriller. characters live longer than disbelief can be suspended for, there are contrived coincidences, and a great moment of self-awareness ("don't be stupid. this is the shootout"). trust in the material or allow its effect to be lost on you.
- Colin Farrell finally finds a balance between drama and comedy, forgettably stiff and embarrassingly free. he is often hilarious, managing to be a douchebag, but one we like. Brendan Gleeson is great, especially when his role gets larger in the second half. Jordan Prentice is hysterical.
- i've heard that Americans found this film offensive, which is crazy. most of the best lines come at the expense of such cliche American stereotypes as being fat and getting our ass beat by Vietnam (cleverly flipped in the "Canadian" revelation).
- when Ralph Fiennes arrives in Bruges, the theatrical surrealism begins. characters' voices are no longer restricted by their bodies, fate will be carried out regardless of plausibility. in any other film, Gleeson would have shot down Fiennes from the belfry tower just as he was about to kill Farrell. it's so foggy, though, that it's almost like a fairy tale. Gleeson can't see anything, and instead sacrifices himself on a whim of saving his young friend. the film opens and ends with a monologue, continuing the theatrical theme and smartly concluding in ambiguity of Farrell's fate
8.5/hilarious tragicomedy
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