Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		5.0

In Bruges Blu-ray Movie Review

It's in Belgium.

Reviewed by Ben Williams March 14, 2009

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.

In Bruges Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

In Bruges Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.