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movie review - In Bruges

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Tokyo, 2010.05.03

This is a story about some British gangsters. They have a problem with a young member of their "order". While assassinating a priest (as you do) the fellow killed an alter boy. According to the boss's "code", the young man must die. So he sends the fellow and a minder to Bruges, in Belgium. I'd never heard of it, but apparently it's one of those Europeans cities that's managed to avoid being paved and made into a generic Toronto/Frankfurt/Minneapolis/etc. The boss man figures it'd be nice to let the young fellow have a final laugh before he's in turn executed.

Well, things don't go to plan.

With an excellent cast and a maddening plot of misunderstanding and senseless violence, this is substantially better than I expected.

Recommended.

rand()m quote

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

—Dr. Seuss