In Bruges

This weekend I was home visiting the family, so the inevitable urge to escape the boredom and catch a movie struck early. Always a big fan of Austin's Alamo Drafthouse, I caught a matinee for "In Bruges", the heartwarming story of two amateur hitmen, a dwarf actor, and a drug -dealing femme fatale all meeting in Bruges under unusual circumstances.

The movie focuses on Ken (Colin Ferrel) and Ray (Brendan Gleeson), who are sent to Bruges following the aftermath of an assassination-gone-bad to lay low for a while. For those of you who don't know, Bruges is a historic city in Belgium known for it's historic architecture and world-famous mayonaise-soaked french fries. The film is a comedy that relies heavily on sarcasm and circumstance as the two hitmen try to remain low-profile and survive the boredom of one of Europe's oldest cities. Ray spends his time sight-seeing and enjoying the tourist attractions, while Ken complains and fades in and out of different states of intoxication.

When the two meet Harry (Jordan Prentice) the dwarf actor and Natalie (Elizabeth Berrington) the local dealer and con-artist, things turn interesting. Not long after, an order is sent from the manic and delusional mob boss known only as Harry (Ralph Fiennes) to take out Ken for accidentally killing a young boy during the assassination of the priest we was sent after (gotta stick to your principals, right?). When the shit hits the fan and Harry comes to town, all hell breaks loose as a violent and ridiculous series of events unfold.

In all honesty, I really did enjoy In Bruges. The plot and storyline are obviously a little over-the-top, and a lot of the humor is low brow, but overall the movie it worth seeing, especially with the limited, disappointing few weeks we've had in the movie world. This film is limited release so catch it while you still can.