In Bruges

I watched In Bruges today, and what a peculiar and dark little film it is. It is also one of the best I've seen in a long while. It is an exploration of faith and death and warped ideas of duty set in the Gothic landscape of Bruges, with a suitably Shakespearean plot.
Colin Farrell is brilliant - he is such a fine actor, and I love his complete lack of vanity. For a remarkably beautiful man, he has allowed himself to be quite ugly and unlikable in this film, and he creates quite a fascinating character.
Actually, everyone is quite good. Ralph Fiennes is so lean and scary that he is almost unrecognisable, and Jordan Prentice is disturbingly sexy in his role as the christ-like dwarf who envisions an apocalyptic race war.
Indeed, the theme of the apocalypse is a recurring one, as is the exploration of guilt, pride and religious faith. Though most will read it as an arty crime story, I read it as a stark and ultimately depressing spiritual vision.
It's a must-see movie, and one that will keep you thinking for hours.

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