In Bruges

Is it worth ten dollars? Yes. Is it perfect? No. This is Martin McDonagh's first film (his short Six Shooter won an Oscar in 2007), and I'll admit that I am more excited about what he'll make in the future than I was about In Bruges. I left this film thinking about the directors who have amazed us with their perfected first features. Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko, Christopher Nolan's Memento and David Gordon Green's George Washington. Considering what these gentlemen are up to presently (Southland Tales, Batman Begins and Snow Angels), peaking early doesn't fair well for audiences. In Bruges is not a masterpiece. It's mis-matched at points and although the writing, acting and plot structure are strong they are weaved together in a sloppy way. The trailers for this film made me think it was kin to an MTV production or a terrible Guy Richie knockoff. Mr. McDonagh's work is different. His characters are flushed out, there is genuine interaction and plenty of witty dialogue. The structure is uniform, you know whats coming, but not exactly when. Unfortunately, In Bruges is a little sloppy. I found myself wondering what kind of movie Mr. McDonagh was trying to make. It's too sentimental to be entirely bad ass. It's also to violent to be taken seriously. I think that he did a great job of blending conventions, but I got a clear sense that he wasn't quite sure of why he was was doing it. This makes sense. It's his first feature. I am convinced that his next project will be more refined, nuanced. He is extremely talented -- Colin Farrel's performance (yes, performance) is as strong as it is because Mr. McDonagh gave him an amazing character. Public Service Announcement : This movie is gory and not in the way you would expect. It's almost entirely manipulative (one of the traits that didn't fit in with the rest of the film) so you can, thankfully, imagine your way out if it. This movie was certainly a ride and I highly recommend it. In Bruges provides at least an hour of talk time so have your dinner afterwards.

In Bruges
George Washington
Snow Angels
Southland Tales