In Bruges
July 2008 Reviewed by: Josh Barber Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

"If I'd grown up on a farm and was retarded, Bruges might impress me, but I didn't, so it doesn't." Those are the words of mob hitman Ray (Colin Farrell), who's been sent to the Belgian town with his partner Ken (Brendan Gleeson) to lay low after botching a recent job. Their boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) insists that Bruges is like a fairytale come to life, but Ray isn't enthused. While Ken opts to take in the historical and cultural sights, Ray is only interested in taking in beers -- until he meets Chloe (Clémence Poésy), a local girl who's doing side work on a film production.

In Bruges is an odd film. It's a story about big-city gangsters, but it is set in a quaint medieval town. It's somewhat a comedy, but its humor is exceedingly dark. It treats its characters and symbolism seriously, but isn't afraid to poke fun at its own pretension -- witness how often the (fictional) movie that's being shot in the town intertwines with the (actual) movie you're watching, and how much scorn it receives when it does.

Ultimately, In Bruges is a very satisfying film. The story has a point, and the actors do a superb job -- particularly Farrell, who gets to show off a depth and deadpan humor that proves there's more to him than the horrible blockbuster films that earned him his fame would lead you to believe.

Bruges looks beautiful on this DVD. The town has a lot of character, and its details are all well preserved. Even when that fairytale fog rolls in, the image remains crisp. You may be tempted to turn on the subtitles, but that's only because of the accents, not any problem with the audio presentation. It doesn't help that quite a few of the scenes take place in museums and historical chapels -- places where people prefer to whisper.

We don't get a commentary track, which is a shame, since Martin McDonagh obviously put a lot of love into writing and directing this film. That said, the extras we do get are definitely worth a perusal.

We begin with 18 minutes of deleted scenes, and watching them you can't imagine these bits doing anything more than throwing off the incredibly tight pacing. That selection is followed by a six-minute gag reel.

"When in Bruges" (14 minutes) and "Strange Bruges" (8 minutes) together form a decent making-of production featurette. We not only get to hear from the cast and crew, as you'd expect, but also learn the inspiration for the film and a bit about the city itself.

To really see the city, try "A Boat Trip Around Bruges," a six-minute ride through the canals. It's lovely to see the scenery of the town -- it's a beautiful, hypnotic place -- but we also get trivia about the history of Bruges scrolling above and below the image. The final feature is "F**king Bruges," a 90-second highlight reel of all the foul language in the film.

The absolute worst part of In Bruges is the attention it's sure to bring the city. The film does a great job of selling this beautiful town, but will Bruges be able to maintain its simple, honest charm in the face of increased tourism? Bruges is going to become famous; buy or rent this DVD and find out why.

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