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In Bruges, tourists wallow in history and culture and In Bruges makes a mockery of everything from tourism to wallowing to history to culture…and it’s every inch as funny as anything you’ve seen this year.

Ever seen The Beauty Queen of Leelane or The Lonesome West? The Lieutenant of Inishmore? How about The Pillowman, an award-winner? Hmmm…and you call yourself a knowledgeable source? I’m just joshin’—neither have I. In fact, just prior to Googleing Martin McDonagh’s name, I had no idea who he was. Go ahead—curse me for my ignorance. But the fact is that this Tony Award-winning London-born, Irish-blooded playwright (The Pillowman won two Tony Awards for Best Lighting and Best Scenic Design of a Play) hasn’t ever made a feature-length film, in Hollywood or elsewhere. And that fact makes In Bruges sweet and salty at the same time—sweet because its quality defies virginal filmmaking and salty because there’s a reason its quality defies virginal filmmaking: McDonagh’s not a virginal filmmaker. In fact, he’s a pro in the cinematic sack—he directed 2006’s Oscar-winning live-action short Six Shooter—and In Bruges is the record deal after the demo.

The Film – After a hit goes horribly sour, assassins Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson, who also starred in Six Shooter) are temporarily exiled to the Belgian city of Bruges by their temperamental boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes). While Ken, a veteran whose nature doesn’t seem to correspond with his job (he’s a nice guy), basks in the surreal beauty of Bruges, whiny rookie Ray finds nothing appealing about the dreamy town. “If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me. But I didn’t, so it doesn’t,” he gripes. And for a moment, I thought that might be all there was to In Bruges (which I probably wouldn’t have minded). But just before that, as Ray was bitching about he and Ken’s hotel room and the possible length of their stay (their room was booked for two weeks), Ken nudged his head forward and muttered, “I hate to bring it up, but…” after which Ray nearly broke into tears. What was openly insinuated was that Ray was the reason they were in Bruges to begin with. But, until that reason is explained later in the film, it’s difficult to grasp the emotional potential of McDonagh’s work. And the reason is ghastly, and deeply saddening, and provides the film’s sequential storyline with purpose, while simultaneously giving Farrell the liberty to fully expose his acting talent—and it’s powerful to watch.

Entertainment is no foe of Martin McDonagh. He has a pitch-black sense of humor that is sure to curl your lips, if not induce obnoxious bouts of hysteria, and he definitely doesn’t shy away from blood (you’ll see plenty of spurting, particularly in the movie’s last act). And, although he has much room to develop as a storyteller, he’s already conquered the art of metrical dialogue. His relationship with words comes off every bit as hip as the poppy vernacular you’d find in a Tarantino flick, and every bit as funny, too. “We shall strike a balance between culture and fun,” Ken tells Ray as the two commence a day of sightseeing. Ray’s hasty response, involving a fat girl and a dwarf, will have you gushing. And that’s pretty much what you’ll be doing for the duration of In Bruges, whether the culprit is McDonagh’s sardonic facetiousness, the film’s brisk pace or lethal finale, or the gravity of Colin Farrell’s bold performance.

The Extras – If you liked the film itself, you’ll love what the DVD has to offer. There are a dozen deleted or extended scenes (which, for no other purpose, serve as proof of editor Jon Gregory’s adroitness), and a rather dull gag reel. But the disc’s main secondary draw (to the movie, obviously) is a 15-minute featurette called When In Bruges, one of four supplementary pieces (Strange Bruges, A Boat Trip Around Bruges, and F**cking Bruges, a brief bit that’s pretty funny, comprise the other three), which, through cast and crew interviews, particularly that of director Martin McDonagh, the conception of In Bruges (and the process that followed) is revealed, as are the cast members’ thoughts on the script and its characters.

Judgments on the picturesque town of Bruges are reserved for Strange Bruges, wherein the location is subjected to both praise and ridicule—according to one actor, its beer is “the best in the world” (and, no, that actor’s name isn’t Colin Farrell), though, everyone seemed to agree that, beneath Bruges’ fairytale façade awaits…nothing (it’s inconsolably boring). A Boat Trip Around Bruges is perhaps the DVD’s most unexpected part—it’s literally a filmed tour around the wee municipality (it barely exceeds 5 min. in time), which is completely uninterrupted by a single actor, crewperson, or word, and incorporates factoids about the Belgian city (for example, The Church of Our Lady, in Bruges, houses the only sculpture of Michelangelo).

Let’s not kid ourselves, here—everyone who picks up a copy of In Bruges will do so to own the picture itself. But they’d be knowingly accepting the short end if they didn’t rummage the bonus gallery. With a sizzling flick and hot extras, this package quarters a ferocious wallop that’s sure to leave its buyers with a Bruges or two (or three…or four…or…well, you get the point).

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