In Bruges Blu-ray delivers stunningly beautiful video and great audio in this must-own Blu-ray release
Hit men Ray and Ken have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges, Belgium, after botching a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life-and-death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss.
As the recipient of four Tony Award nominations and countless British stage honors, English-
born playwright Martin McDonagh's career has been filled with successes unlike any of his
contemporaries. Mr. McDonagh made the move to filmmaking in 2004 with his award-
winning short film, Six Shooter; a quirky Irish-themed rumination on mortality, life
and the comedy it invariably inspires. 2008 saw the release of In Bruges, a wholly
original comedic film of immense emotional depth. Mr. McDonagh earned his first BAFTA
award for the film's original screenplay, a BAFTA Best Film nomination and, ultimately, the
Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Actors Brendan Gleeson, Ralph
Fiennes and Colin Farrell each received their fair share of awards and nominations, with Mr.
Farrell walking away with a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. Why is it,
then, that as a major award-winning film with a massive amount of critical support, In
Bruges has fallen off of the map? The movie was given a basic DVD release and
skipped over for the Blu-ray treatment in the US; fortunately, Swedish film distributors
Scanbox Entertainment have produced a region-free Blu-ray edition that can be had for
roughly $40 through a variety of online sources. Is In Bruges really worth the hefty
price of admission?
Colin Farrell winces as he realizes that his greatest critical success isn't even available on
Blu-ray in the US.
Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), two Irish hitmen on the lam after a
mysterious job in London, arrive in Bruges, Belgium on a mission to keep a low profile. Their
boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), has instructed them to see Bruges' historic medieval sights
during the day, waiting in their room for his eventual phone call at night. Ray is having none
of this. He's furious at being sent to a backwater like Bruges; Ken soaks up the atmosphere
and history, loving every minute of their forced vacation. As Ray becomes increasingly
restless, the duo will engage in a battle of wits over their situation, while encountering a
variety of local personalities who convince Ray that he's experiencing his own unique
version of hell. Just as Ray meets a young Belgian girl who tickles his fancy, Ken finally
receives Harry's phone call and is faced with news that points to Bruges being his and Ray's
own personal purgatory. But Ken might have bigger problems on his hands, as Ray's guilt
over the events of their London job start to wear on his conscience.
In Bruges is a deliriously entertaining film that is as hilariously funny as it is deeply
emotional. It's a rare film that manages to not pull its punches; its every frame unfolds in
unimagined directions as original as they are inspired. The film places a tremendous
emphasis on the honor of each character; these aren't mindless guilt-free killing machines,
but are real people, in a strange and depressing business, who struggle emotionally with
every violent choice they make. The writing is smart, intuitive and insightful; the direction
and cinematography is realistic and beautiful and the acting is remarkable. In
Bruges is a truly brilliant film.
Both Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson carry the entire film on their shoulders; they inhabit
every scene and breathe a life-like reality into each of their characters. Both Ray and Ken
are wholly formed, never occupying clichéd stereotypes or ridiculous affectations for the
sake of being quirky. Instead, we are shown two men who accept their life and fate with a
degree of humor and humility. It's just amazing.
In Bruges has gained attention for one other interesting fact; the film's characters
use the coveted "F-Bomb" 126 times during the film's 107 minute running time. Needless to
say, In Bruges isn't a kids movie. The language, situations and violence are
decidedly R-rated; the film has not been watered down in the least. In Bruges is a
wonderful and engrossing film that I can't wait to watch again. I can't recommend it highly
enough.
Bruges, Belgium is a remarkably unique medieval city that serves as a captivating, integral
visual component for the plot In Bruges. The film's cinematographer, Eigil Bryld,
chose to shoot in mostly natural lighting conditions, highlighting Bruges' beautiful canals and
architecture, while underscoring the somber tone of the proceedings. It is, visually, a
gorgeous movie; rendered to perfection on Blu-ray, using the AVC Mpeg-4 compression
codec, while maintaining the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1.
Black levels and contrast, in general, are exceptional throughout the presentation; whites
remain under control while the deepest blacks impress with their stability. The film is
predominantly muted in its color palette; remarkably saturated color does shine through on
occasion in luscious primary hues. I found detail to be well-rendered as well; skin, facial hair
and fabrics were all intricately defined and free from any digital enhancement. Artifacts
were also absent; this is an expertly handled transfer that hits all the right notes while
remaining faithful to the film's theatrical exhibition. In Bruges is simply phenomenal
on Blu-ray. Highly Recommended.
In Bruges plods along for the first hour with minimalist sound design that is
anchored to Carter Burwell's amazing piano score. The music adds an intoxicating old-world
spin on the proceedings that highlights the medieval surroundings of Bruges, while adding a
lighthearted sense of foreboding to the film's mood. Scanbox Entertainment has wisely
chosen to include a lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track that captures the rich timbre of
the score, all the while ensuring that dialogue is handled with aplomb. The film's darker
second half, however, leaps to life with powerfully thunderous gunfire and a swirl of
surround activity. It's a remarkable contrast in audio design that perfectly accents the film's
shift in tone.
Audiophiles will notice one major flaw in the soundtrack for In Bruges. The film
suffers intermittently from poor recording conditions; hiss and background noise occasionally
interfere with dialogue intelligibility, leaving several scenes a bit of a mess. Fortunately, this
only occurs a handful of times and is clearly the fault of the source material; given the
characters' thick accents, it can be distracting and difficult. Ultimately, In Bruges
sounds exceptional in every other respect. Viewers are advised to be patient when these
noisy dialogue scenes rear their ugly heads - - it doesn't plague the entire presentation and
isn't bad enough to warrant not picking up this otherwise excellent Blu-ray disc.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a single extra to be found on this Blu-ray edition of In
Bruges. With my region A player, I'd have been unable to play any PAL material,
anyway.
In Bruges is a phenomenally entertaining film that manages to combine side-
splitting humor and action, with an emotional and dramatic undercurrent of profound
proportions. Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell and Ralph Feinnes all deliver startling
performances with perfect comic timing, rooted in somber circumstances; it's the emotional
honesty of the film's subject matter that clearly made an impression on the entire cast.
Unfortunately, In Bruges hasn't been made available on Blu-ray in the United
States, so, this Swedish import from Scanbox Entertainment is a region free alternative that
will play in any Blu-ray player, regardless of region. Scanbox brings the film to Blu-ray with a
stunning, reference grade video transfer; audio is also quite impressive, if not flawed from
the source. The question remains; is In Bruges a worthwhile title at the inflated
import price? Absolutely. In Bruges is a rewarding film with amazing replay value,
that fully takes advantage of Blu-ray's audio and video capabilities. In Bruges earns
my highest recommendation.
All countries
