In Bruges
I think a million have recommended this film to me, especially people who are into good stuff but not necessarily into movies (not the same way we crazy “cineasts” are at least). Of course that made me want to see the film and now I know why.
There are some movies that are of the type where I am incredibly impressed when I see it the first time but actually less the second time. I can see “In Bruges” to be one of these movies – while I saw it, I kept thinking how incredibly great it is. The acting, the storywriting, how everything beautifully fits together and how the story brings both tragedy and comedy together in such a skilled way. I loved the film when I saw it and probably have not enjoyed a film as much as this for a long time. (Long probably being a few months, the last film that thoroughly impressed me – that I can think of out of the top of my head – is “Die Ehe der Maria Braun”.)
The film also made me think; about coincidences that, of course, fit together in a film better than it does in real life – but then again, isn’t real life like a movie too sometimes? They are mirroring each other into infinity, that is sort of how I personally feel about it. It made me think about its main topic (an assassin accidentally killing an innocent child), and the morality that comes with it. Every character was a good person in some way and they tried to do what they thought they had to – and that is, I think, the beauty of it. It’s about life and death, and honor and how you should lead a life. The love story part was pretty much annoying (LOL the love interest is Fleur Delacour?) and didn’t even provide a fraction of the comical relief the interaction between the main characters themselves, but if you overlook that (and the sometimes very clichéd music), the film is quite a beautiful gem of great storywriting.
It seems “In Bruges” did get a lot of recognition from the critics – and it’d better do. For me, it’s at least or about as good as “Leon The Professional”, “A History of Violence” and “Gunslinger Girl”, when restricting yourself to stories with the same topic.