|
Synopsis
Mr. McDonagh makes
his feature directorial debut on the film, from his own
original screenplay. His plays (which include The Lieutenant
of Inishmore and The Pillowman) have brought him two Olivier
Awards and four Tony Award nominations. He wrote and
directed Six Shooter, starring Brendan Gleeson, which earned
him the 2006 Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Film.
In Bruges was filmed on location; Bruges (pronounced "broozh"),
the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of
Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travelers from all
over the world. But for hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken
(Brendan Gleeson), it could be their final destination; a
difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right
before Christmas by their London boss Harry (two-time
Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) to go and cool their
heels in the storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks.
Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture,
canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days
living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the
bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as he
keeps a fatherly eye on Ray's often profanely funny
exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the
beauty and serenity of the city. But the longer they stay
waiting for Harry's call, the more surreal their experience
becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with
locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American
actor (Jordan Prentice) shooting a European art film, Dutch
prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of
Chloe (Clemence Poesy), who may have some dark secrets of
her own. And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken
and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of
darkly comic proportions and surprisingly emotional
consequences. - Focus Features
|
