Two hitmen are sent to Bruges, Belgium, by their boss after a hit goes wrong. Ken (Brendan Gleeson) is an old soul, worn down by the cumulative effects of his actions. While Ray (Colin Farrell), new to the job, is still young, both in life and at heart, and suffers his job more acutely. To Ken the ancient city filled with cathedrals and museums is heaven; to Ray a town with so little to do is a living hell. In reality, however, this ancient city acts as purgatory to these two men who wait in limbo to learn their fate. And as these men are forced to face who they have become, the film asks, how can redemption come to men such as these?
While Martin McDonagh’s first feature is anything but ‘on the nose’ with its ideas and themes, I’d like to offer that In Bruges suggests, perhaps, that redemption often comes not in the safe, cushioned seats of a church or with the splendor and beauty of the created world, but rather it often comes in the form of the grotesque – the visible and physical reminders of what happens to a soul left to its own devices.
In Bruges is Martin McDonagh’s follow-up to his unforgettable (and Oscar winning) short film, Six Shooter, and is well worth the visit.
