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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 17 April 2008

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell star in Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges

Apprentice assassin Farrell in firing line

IN BRUGES
Directed by Martin McDonagh
Certificate 18

THEY don’t look it, but in fact those two characters cooling their heels in a hotel bar in Bruges are a pair of hitmen relaxing between jobs.
The big guy is Ken (Brendan Gleeson) while his partner Ray (Colin Farrell) is actually his apprentice assassin.
The last thing they want is to admire the sights of the beautiful city, but they trudge around anyway so we get the scenic views as well as the action.
Soon enough the bodies pile up on the cobblestones when another villain (a fearsome performance from Ralph Fiennes) orders Ken to kill Ray, and travels to Bruges to make sure his wishes are carried out.
We’re actually into a dark comedy thriller here, but with enough violence to merit an 18 certificate. The pair blunder on to a local film set, where Ray falls for Chloe (Clemence Poesy), a flirtatious extra supplying soft drugs to the cast.
Politically incorrect jokes fly thick and fast, mainly from Ray at the expense of a dope-addicted dwarf actor on the set (Peter Dinklater, who steals every scene in a hilarious permanent stupor).
A load of oddballs pop up amid the carnage, and award-winning playwright Martin McDonagh, who wrote the screenplay as well as directing, scores a palpable hit with his first feature film.

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