In Bruges

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In Bruges ★★½ 2008 (R)

Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson), two Irish hitmen, are sent to the picturesque medieval berg of Bruges, Belgium, to hide out following a partially botched job that targeted a priest but accidentally offed a young boy, hardly a premise for comedy. But writer/director McDonagh's debut mostly hits the mark with this pitch-black fish-out-of-water tale of tough guys laying low in the quaint town, a feat made impossible by their involvement with a local hottie and a filmmaking dwarf and the arrival of their cool boss (Fiennes). Snappy repartee and postcard scenery offset an abundance of inner torment and blood, and it's all almost too hip for its own good, but Farrell and Gleeson are terrific. 107m/C DVD . GB Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clarence Poesy, Jeremie Renier, Thekla Reuten, Jordan Prentice; D: Martin McDonagh; W: Martin McDonagh; C: Eigil Bryld; M: Carter Burwell.