Thursday, July 31, 2008

Collateral damage gets a bad name in Bruges.

In Bruges is a movie that tries to take a shot at the car chase, violent, gangster movies that kids love. The chase scenes here are on foot, the guns are all deadly, and the gangsters are all thoughtful workaholics who struggle with the moral consequences of collateral damage.

Its a wonderful movie without cars. Ray would rather be home in London instead of stuck like a farmer he says in Bruges. Ken loves the old world charm and distance from London while retaining the culture and tradition of a small slow European town. Ken and Ray are here on orders after collateral damage from a hired shooting in London, Ray to take in everyone last wish of seeing Bruges before he is dispatched by Ken on Harry's orders.

While poking fun at Americans, both fat and gun happy, stereotypes (Ray gets in trouble for beating up a Canadian he thought was American- "what's Vietnam got to do with smoking") and skinheads, pouty and stupid, the film takes a serious look at the unhappy uncontrollable consequences of gun violence and the redeeming quality of a woman's attention in a guy centered heterosexual world.