Sundance 2008 is right around the corner and one of the featured films of the Utah film festival is going to be “In Bruges” which stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes.
We’re particularly excited about this one cause it’s directed by critically-acclaimed, near-sadistic Irish playwright Martin McDonagh whose play “The Pillowman” was one of the most amazingly dark and funny theater experiences we’ve ever witnessed (it starred Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum when it played on Broadway in New York).
McDonagh made the transition from stageplays to in 2oo5 when he wrote and directed the short black comedy, “Six Shooter” which went on to win an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2006 (and starred Gleeson).
As the NYTimes wrote this weekend, “fusing the hideous with the funny” is the McDonagh calling card and ‘Bruges’ centers on the relationship between a inexperienced hit man (Farrell), and his wiser partner (Gleeson), who after a botched hit are ordered to lay-low in the medieval Belgian city of Bruges. They both react to their surreal forced vacation in variously positive and negative ways until their boss (Fiennes) comes to bring the hammer down on the hapless duo.
“I’d always been irritated by macho films with guns and bullets flying everywhere,” McDonagh told the Times about the story that came to him while on vacation in the Flemish city. “I’d wondered where the stray bullets go. What happens when a bullet hits the wrong target? It’s kind of a black comedy about despair. I don’t think they’re going to put that on the poster,” he said with a wry smile.
Due February 5, the soundtrack features tracks by the Walkmen, The Pretenders, Townes Van Zandt and a score by Carter Burwell (“No Country For Old Men,” and many other Coen Brothers films). The trailer features The Pixies’ “Oh My Golly” from Surfer Rosa and the Regina Spektor song “That Time” is featured in the film, but not on the disc.
Ok, skeptics can say that it might look like a “Sexy Beast”/Guy Ritchie knock-off and it could very well be, but man McDonagh’s “The Pillowman” was so extremely excellent that we’re willing to give it a shot (not to mention that all his plays have been critically acclaimed up the arse garnering Olivier awards and Tony nominations).
“In Bruges” will be the opening night film of the upcoming 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The film hits theaters in limited release on February 8.
“In Bruges” soundtrack tracklist
01. Prologue – Carter Burwell
02. Medieval Waters – Carter Burwell
03. The Little Dead Boy – Carter Burwell
04. St. John The Gambler – Townes Van Zandt
05. The Last Judgement – Carter Burwell
06. View From The Tower – Carter Burwell
07. My Suicide Your Homicide – Carter Burwell
08. Brandy Alexander – The Walkmen
09. Save The Next Boy – Carter Burwell
10. Ray At The Mirror – Carter Burwell
11. Walking Bruges – Carter Burwell
12. The Magic Frog – Carter Burwell
13. Der Leiermann – Andreas Schmidt
14. Harry Walks – Carter Burwell
15. Dressing For Death – Carter Burwell
16. The Kiss Walk Past – Carter Burwell
17. On Raglan Road – The Dubliners
18. Thugs Passing In The Night – Carter Burwell
19. Shootout Part 1 – Carter Burwell
20. When He’s Dead – Carter Burwell
21. Shootout Part 2 – Carter Burwell
22. Principles – Carter Burwell
23. I Didn’t Want To Die – Carter Burwell
24. 2000 Miles – The Pretenders
Watch: “In Bruges” trailer
Watch: “Six Shooter” clip