In Bruges (2008)

writ. and dir. Martin McDonagh
feat. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clémence Poésy, Jérémie Renier, Thekla Reuten

I guess it takes a British first time feature director with a background in theater to orchestrate a deeply funny film with deadly serious themes that doesn't neglect the visuals. It's a wonder that we don't have more films this attentive to cinematography that still aim squarely for laughs and the mainstream market. Woody Allen largely abandoned the effort (though he shows some signs of reconsidering) and the major comedy players of today seem content with head-on TV framing and lighting.

And the praise doesn't stop with mere appearance, even if the stunning cityscape imagery is deserving of a kickback from the Bruges tourism board. Not only do we find a tight script that unfolds patiently and builds suspense by withholding the introduction of the long anticipated and dreaded Harry Waters (Fiennes,) but also the gift of vital supporting characters, contributing in a way rarely found in such films, more often wasted filler good for a laugh or a spot of random violence. And they work in deceptively simple ways, woven in and out of the story seamlessly, without hijacking the main plot or ever appearing intrusive, yet maintaining the possibility for welcome surprise.

Heck, I'm still finding it a bit hard to believe that I watched a Colin Farrell performance that didn't leave me feeling he's a shallow, if spirited, simpleton. Maybe the trick, one that Martin McDonagh pulled off rather slickly, was to make his character, Ray, a wounded simpleton, caged by regret, permitted to whine, mope and charm within the limits of his pain. And thankfully, Ray also makes us laugh.

And it would be shameful to mention both Farrell and Fiennes without noting Brendan Gleeson's anchoring performance in the film. He keeps the plot moving while allowing Farrell to showboat, providing the fulcrum around which the other two spin, and serving as the catalyst for change in all three characters. And no, this is not overstatement for a comedy about hitmen in Bruges, exactly why the film works so damn well and is so thoroughly satisfying.