Ten Reasons Why You Should See In Bruges

6. As A Matter Of Fact: If I had to take a guess, the true life of a hit man is disgusting, soul-crushing work. It isn’t all impromptu dance competitions; there is no time for deep philosophical inquiries into the process of the hit man or extended commentary on pop culture. I’ll also take another stab in the dark that it can be very ridiculous at times. Silly even. Other than dealing with what life has given us and if our self-worth is enough to hold on to until the next crazy life event, there MIGHT be time for serious drug use and normal introspection. This film accepts the idea that the ordinary seeps into every occupation no matter how the elements of excitement and danger permeate the score.

7. Everyone Has The Potential To Suck: People are people. They mess up, they will enjoy the inanities of tourist traps and meaningless factoids, and they usually pee their pants in the face of ultimate danger. There is no need to assign the requisite glamorous or bizarre character, usually saddled with forcing the main characters to confront their hidden flaws and prejudices, with anything other than an interesting arc and potential to create conflict. Also, no matter where you find yourself in the world, these people can be and usually are assholes. Count on it.

8. Sacrifice May Be Noble, But It Is Always Ugly: There is a particular sequence in the film that contains a noble concept, but the ultimate result is absolutely terrifying and grotesque. Rather than a tasteful (and let’s be honest, slow motion, as it is a necessity when one needs to underline the character’s “ultimate” sacrifice) death scene, it is one drawn-out, agonizing bloody mess. It is wise to pause the movie, momentarily, to reflect on how real it feels.

9. Average Fantasies Have Consequences: Colin Farrell’s character, Ray, is the obvious stand-in for the audience. His apparent discomfort with his forced tourist role is painfully funny, which provides some of the film’s most cathartic moments. Moreover, he gets to act out all of an audience’s frivolous fantasies such as punching out a snobby dinner patron and throwing various tantrums regarding how one is usually pressured into viewing everything through a very specific lens as a tourist. Oh, but he gets punished, and punished often, which provides still more hilarious scenes.

10. Small Town Folk Are Annoying And Not Charming In the Least: Wouldn’t life be easier if we just looked at how the people in a small town lived their lives and went about applying those minor, yet real, concepts to our own existence? Wouldn’t our lives be improved if we just moved immediately past any sort of judgment of their simple existence and were just as real as they were? Short answer: No. The simple town folk who occupy this film are nosy, a bit dim, and above-it-all. Cram it, Gomer Pyles of the world.

Pages: 1 2