Top Ten Worst/Most Disappointing Movies I've seen

No review today. I haven't watched a new movie recently. I'm probably not going to be able to post another one until next week with my upcoming schedule, but I'll see what I can do. Instead, I have given you a top ten list. Please comment with your choices as well since I'm sure there were some that were so bad I forgot about them. The #1 and #2 are set in stone, the rest are in no particular order. I feel this needs a little bit of clarification as sometimes a film is poorly made but still enjoyable, such as "Killer Klowns From Outer Space," and titles like those won't be found here. Also, I am a really good judge of whether or not I'll like a movie so I try not to subject myself to those (Why would you choose to go see "Battlefield Earth?"). 

Therefore, there are some movies on this list that are definitely not horrible and that you might want to check out to form your own opinion, but extremely disappointing to me. 

1. Kicking and Screaming

A Criterion Collection movie is bad? Yes. This is one of two movies on this list I couldn't finish watching. After seeing Baumbach's recent "The Squid and the Whale" I figured I would give the movie that put him on the map  a chance. The movie is so pretentious and meandering that I just didn't care after the first twenty minutes. I'm a guy who loves a good dialogue driven movie, but not when it's about a bunch of over privileged college graduates talking about utterly pointless subjects.

2. Elephant

I was extremely angry after watching Gus Van Sant's "Elephant." So angry that it is hard for me to give any of his movies since then a chance. He handles the subject matter of school shootings post Columbine with so little responsibility it's sickening. I really hope he didn't try to argue that this film doesn't glorify the students actions, because I don't see that it does much else. Not to mention the fact that he's a filmmaker who doesn't know how developing film works. The only reason this isn't number one is because I actually finished watching it. 

3. Year of the Dog

I cannot come up with one good reason why this film was made. Dogs, yay! Peter Sarsgaard, yay! I was really looking forward to it. The advertising was perfectly done and the dogs were irresistible. End result is a very creepy and disturbing portrait of a character I couldn't care less about. 

4. WalMart: The High Price of Low Cost

This is the second movie I couldn't finish. I probably stopped this one only ten minutes in as what was disguised as a documentary turned out to be propaganda from people who have an agenda against WalMart. I don't even like WalMart and I was still offended. I don't think any facts were used. The makers of this one should be ashamed. 

5. Blade: Trinity

Oh Blade, how I love thee. Blade: good entertaining movie. Blade II: great movie made by one of my favorite new filmmakers. Blade: Trinity: horrible crud. I was scared as soon as I found out David Goyer was directing this, because I knew what Guillermo Del Toro created would be lost. Casting Dominic Purcell as Dracula was a horrible idea and the use of Ryan Reynolds for comic relief just got tiring. Come to think of it, most of the casting was bad. I liked the idea of sidekicks for Blade, but the story was very weak and basically nothing worked here. Even Parker Posey was weird. 

6. John Carpenter's Vampries

Will Someone please make a good vampire movie again?! I liked the idea that vampires were created by Catholics and I liked the visuals of this movie, but everything else fell short. 

7. Dracula 2000

Please? All I'm asking for is a really solid vampire movie with good acting, good directing and good story. It doesn't have to be award winning or anything, just don't put the year it was made in the title like a beacon warning us to stay away. 

8. Semi-Pro

I was so excited about this movie when the trailer came out. Will Ferrell as an ABA owner/player? Yes please! The trailers were hilarious. Unfortunately the movie didn't make me laugh at all.  I chuckled at the same parts I laughed at in the trailer, but that's it.  Most of the trailers were actually made separate from the movie and had content not found in the film. This tells me they knew they didn't have a funny movie and had to make funny trailers to get you to see the movie. 

9. For Your Consideration

Wow. I couldn't believe it when this movie was over and  I didn't laugh out loud, once. Maybe Christopher Guest is  only allowed a certain number of great mockumentaries. Catherine O'hara is indeed fantastic and the accolades she received were deserved, however nothing around her was funny. I think where Guest went wrong is that he actually tried to make this  one a narrative, with a bit of mockumentary mixed in, instead of a true mockumentary. Just watch "Best in Show" again instead of watching this. 

10. Wonder Boys

I remember all the hype surrounding this movie when it came out. I also love most of the actors in it. I actually didn't watch this movie for a few years after it came out on DVD. I figured that way I wouldn't be swayed by all the hoopla. I definitely wasn't. I didn't find it funny or touching, as described by some critics, and I can't imagine giving it four stars. This makes the list at number 10 as a film that I know has to be a good  in some way due to all of the critical acclaim, but I just didn't get it and was severely disappointed. 

Coraline: 3.5 stars

Henry Selick has proved with “Coraline” that he doesn’t receive as much credit as he should for Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This time around Selick is the writer, in addition to director, and he delivers another stop motion wonder. I had a bit of trepidation going into this film, as Selick hasn’t done much since Nightmare, and was worried the brooding edge would be lost. I was very wrong. In fact, I was surprised at how chilling some scenes became. Don’t worry; there are plenty of laughs too.

Based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, "Coraline" tells the story of a family that has moved into a new apartment within an old Victorian home split up into multiple units. There are retired one time affluent actresses in the basement, the great acrobat Mr. Bobinsky upstairs, a young boy named Wyborn who lives nearby and a mysterious black cat who all add a little bit to the story. In Caroline’s eyes her parents are emotionally detached and more involved with themselves. One night Coraline finds a small door in one of the new rooms where she discovers a portal to an alternate version of her life. She meets her Other Mother and Father as well as alternate versions of all the supporting characters. Everything seems wonderful at first and her Other parents invite her to stay forever. However, it becomes apparent that something just isn’t right and things start to take a turn for the worse.

One thing that works so perfectly in this film is the build up. Selick slowly builds the tension, like pulling back the coil on a pinball machine, and then releases everything he has in the climax. Visually it is something to behold and only gets better as the action progresses. The artistic approach is great; borrowing the elongated figures from Tim Burton (who borrowed them from Edward Gorey anyway) with Selick’s own twists. It is also a very balanced animated film. There have only been a handful of animated movies that are suitable for children but equally entertaining to adults, and this is one of the best. That is, as long as your child doesn’t mind being scared.

Remember how fickle we all were as children? One day you would love your parents with all your soul and the next you’d be wishing multitude of bad things upon them. Well, “Coraline” takes place on one of those bad days and lucky for Coraline she has a portal to an alternate universe that reminds her things aren’t that bad. I can’t say enough about the amazing talent that goes into stop motion animation films such as this, and am impressed at how fluid and detailed they have become. Artists and fans of this process will adore “Coraline.” Fans of a story well told and full of imagination won’t be disappointed either.

**This was also a milestone for me as it is the first 3D film I have attended. I must say it worked very well. After getting used to the glasses you forget that it is in 3D unless you are actively admiring it. Every once and a while something pops out to remind you, and I must say it’s pretty cool. If you have a chance to see it in the theatre then definitely do so.

Leon: 4 stars **spoilers**

This is a joint review of Luc Besson’s “The Professional” and “Leon”, the latter being the international version that has twenty-four extra minutes not contained in the original American release.

At its heart “Leon” is an adorable love story between a boy (Leon) and a girl (Mathilda) wrapped up in a stylistic action movie. The only problem is that Leon is a middle-aged immigrant hit man and Mathilda is a twelve-year-old girl. Some find that hard to watch. In my humble opinion, however, there is no sexual content in the American version of the film and if the viewer is projecting a sexual overtone onto Leon and Mathilda’s relationship then that is something for the viewer to deal with. I know many would disagree with me on this point, but that’s just how I see it. While the additional footage in this version does contain a scene with Mathilda’s “first time” overtly being discussed, I think it’s important for the viewer to take everything into context.

Leon, played by Jean Reno, is a very talented professional hit man, or a cleaner. He is watched over by Tony, played effortlessly by Danny Aiello, an Italian crime boss who takes out contracts on behalf of Leon. Tony takes care of Leon, gives him advice and “holds” onto his money for him because banks have all that annoying paperwork to deal with. There isn’t too much back-story given here. All we know is that Leon was an immigrant and Tony brought him up on his own from the age of nineteen. Somewhere along the way he became a hit man. Leon lives in an apartment down the hall from Mathilda, played by Natalie Portman, and has a very strict routine of exercise, taking care of his plant, and sleeping sitting up in a chair with his gun by his side. One fateful day brings an end to the lives of Mathilda’s family and forces her to take refuge in Leon’s apartment. Leon resists her presence at first, but reluctantly allows her to stay.

Mathilda later discovers that the man who killed her family is a corrupt DEA officer, Stansfield, played by Gary Oldman. If you’re a fan of Gary Oldman and have yet to see Leon then make this the next film you watch. Oldman gives one of his best performances and is stunningly maniacal. Needless to say Mathilda wants revenge. Not for the loss of her family, who were no better than Stansfield themselves, but for the death of her innocent little brother. Portman give a very emotional and impressive performance as Mathilda, nailing the bravado of a little who girl who has nothing left to lose and concurrently has the fragility of someone who just lost the only thing they held dear in this world. Given that she has just befriended a hit man, she asks him to carry out the hit on Stansfield. When Leon refuses, she requests that he train her as a cleaner. After some convincing he agrees and their relationship blossoms from there.

Here is what I feel the viewer needs to be clear about. Leon is a man whose best friend is a plant. He has no associates other than Tony and no visible joy in his life. He kills people for a living and has done so for many decades. He is also not the brightest crayon in the box. Mathilda is a twelve-year-old girl who has just lost everyone she knows and the only person who showed her any love in her young life. She had been abused by the only man she knew and ridiculed by the women. There is a very important scene that occurs prior to the death of Mathilda’s family. Leon passes Mathilda in the hallway and Mathilda asks, “Is life always this hard, or is it just when you’re a kid?” Leon responds, “Always like this.” Leon and Mathilda know nothing but hardship and it seems like destiny that they meet to help each other realize there is more to life. Mathilda learns that there are men who will treat her with respect and she can be loved, while Leon, in his own words, discovers “a taste for life.” Love comes in all forms and it doesn’t have to be sexual. Leon and Mathilda love each other for giving the other what they were previously missing. Another thing to keep in mind is that Mathilda is twelve. While people may have exposed her to sexual themes and situations in her life, I would hope that she still does not have a firm grasp on what exactly sex or love is. She may know the words, having read them in her sister’s magazines, she also knows the act from walking in on her parents, but she is just imitating what she thinks they are. In the additional footage from "Leon" in which she verbalizes the hope that her first time will be with Leon, while taking into account what she has just been through, I believe she doesn’t understand the true meaning of her words. Complicating the issue further is the fact that Leon also doesn't have the emotional maturity to deal with his feelings, let alone the things Mathilda is saying.

So is it a good film? I think so. It's one of my favorites. The fact that, fourteen years after it’s release, an action movie like Leon has motivated me to write a review this long is reason enough to see it, or revisit it if you haven’t watched it recently. It is so much more than a simple action flick. The film has something for everyone. It is funny, touching, exciting, and original with some of the finest performances by all four lead actors. Personally, “The Professional” was one of the first films that really hooked me into the world of cinema.

Slumdog Millionaire: 4 stars

Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” is an energetic and sprawling love story. It spans twenty-some years and many lavish settings throughout India. While standing in line for a different movie, I heard one patron say to a friend, “If you liked “Forest Gump” you will like “Slumdog Millionaire.” I had to hold my laughter in because the visual and narrative approaches of these films are complete polar opposites I would never group together. They contain a main character telling the story of his past, cover a long period of time and revolve around a love story. However, that is where the similarities end. If you like “Forest Gump” you could very well dislike “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Jamal is a young man from Mumbai who has a chance to be a Mil-on-air (you’ll get the spelling once you see the movie) on the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.” How does he end up being one question aware from being a Millionaire? The answers are found within the fabric of his past. Jamal is forced to unravel that past to prove his innocence as no one believes a “slumdog” could have gotten this far without cheating. Jamal and his older brother Salim are orphaned at a young age and forced to fend for themselves. The flashbacks of his early childhood are splendid as the exuberance and innocence of these children are surrounded perfectly by deft editing and wonderful music. It is during this time that Jamal meets, falls in love with and inevitably gets separated from the beautiful Latika. The remainder of Jamal’s formative years contains many ups and downs, twists and turns, extreme situations and difficult decisions. The one thing that remains constant throughout that time is Jamal’s unrelenting optimism and determination to fulfill his unrequited love.

I have been a fan of Danny Boyle’s since coming to terms with how great “28 Days Later” was and then being swept off my feet by his moral fairytale “Millions”. Boyle has a knack for making any subject matter otherworldly and impossible to resist. He does so with a pacing that is impossible to detach yourself from. As long as you give yourself to the film he promises to take you for a fantastic ride. It is comparable to being nervous about riding a roller coaster; if you clench up and continually question the coaster’s construction then the ride isn’t very pleasant. If you let go, close your eyes and just trust the engineer you’ll have the time of your life.

As I write this review I can’t help but think about the older couple sitting behind me in the theatre asking each other questions throughout the movie and whose final thoughts while the end credits rolled were, “Well...that was interesting.” The message of this film is universal but I think the storyline and visual style are a lot more complicated then everyone is letting on. It may not be for everybody, but no film is. I highly recommend giving it a chance, but try to do so with a clean slate. If you forget all the hype, keep an open mind and just let go of the handlebar, I promise you’ll be swept up by this extraordinary love story.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist: 3 stars

This is a movie I should have been itching to see on opening night. For some reason, however, the advertising turned me off. Although I love Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, Nick and Norah respectively, the annoying drunk girl in the trailer made me think, “Great, another teen movie made by someone who is completely disconnected from that time in their life.” I couldn’t have been further from correct in my assumptions. Plus, the annoying drunk girl turns out to be kinda funny.

The trailer and opening scene of the film pretty much set everything up for you. Nick has been dumped by his girlfriend Tris and can’t let go. His ingeniously named band has a show to play in the city and he agrees to perform despite his mood. Nick and Norah meet at the show, Norah’s best friend Caroline gets sloshed and everyone who is anyone is trying to find out where a legendary indie rock band is playing that same night. Nick’s band mates decide Norah is the one for him and devise a way to force them to spend the night together searching for the mystery concert. So there is Nick and Norah, the band mates Thom and Dev, drunk Caroline, the ex-girlfriend Tris, Tris’ new boy toy, Dev’s new boy toy, Jesus, other kinda-sorta-maybe ex’s…. you get the picture. They all intertwine throughout and although this sounds like a lot going on, you never feel that way while watching the movie.

Nothing in this film feels overdone and the filmmakers did a great job avoiding the immature and cliché pitfalls of most teen comedies. Everything about it just feels sincere. However, viewers might think one character is overdone, and that is Nick’s ex Tris. Tris is over the top but I don’t think her character is handled poorly. I feel this way for two reasons: 1) I knew a girl exactly like her, and 2) Hating Tris makes you root for Nick and Norah that much harder, and that’s part of the fun. I hated Tris. If you watch this movie and in anyway relate with Tris, then you should be worried.

Although the story is about a night in the life of a group of teenagers, any adult who hasn’t lost their lust for life will be able to enjoy the film as well. Hopefully everyone reading this has had one of those nights where everything clicks. Whether it was a date, or an outing with a group of friends, we can all remember a time that was just completely right and Nick and Norah brings that back for us. If the night in Dazed and Confused met the music of Empire Records and then they met the love story of Reality Bites and then they all fell into a blender you would have Nick and Norah’s Infinite Play List.

If you made the same assumptions I did about this movie ignore them and go rent it. Put it in your Netflix queue and put it to the #1 position. You’ll be happy you did. I am giving it three stars now with the hope that it becomes four stars later. I have a hunch this is the kind of film that just gets better with age, like the three I mentioned above. I pray I never grew too old to enjoy movies like this.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: 2.5 stars

In the directorial debut of Shane Black, writer of the Lethal Weapon Series, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang fails to deliver. I’ve read a lot of other reviews faulting it for being all style and no substance. I personally can’t fault the film for that. It would be like saying Lethal Weapon is all style and no substance. And? So? That’s the point of a film noir/mystery/action movie. Movies like this are made simply to distract and entertain us. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang definitely achieves that goal, however it is lacking something that strong performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer couldn’t overcome. Downey and Kilmer are, at times, very funny together and both deliver some great lines. There will surely be one or two scenes that make you laugh out loud, but there are others that are just duds. The script and the narrative set up tries too hard to be clever without following through.

Harry Lockhart (Downey) is a petty thief in New York who accidentally becomes an actor, travels to Los Angeles for an audition, gets set up with private detective Gay Perry (Val Kilmer) for detective lessons, reunites with a childhood sweetheart (Michelle Monaghan) and they all end up in a crime caper. That sentence is complicated enough let alone the devices used in the film to connect all the dots. There is a narration by Harry Lockhart, which at times stops the film to make fun of itself and involve the audience with witty jabs at the movie industry. In the end I had to wonder if the film would have been better off with no narration and just straightforward storytelling. All the inside jokes and one-liners about movies and Hollywood were the least funny parts and had me feeling that Shane Black may be a little bitter about something.

In addition, the cinematography was boring. Perhaps the reviews I read previously made me expect something super cool and full of pop, or maybe this was just the first time outing for a director that wasn’t ready it let it all fly, but I felt the visual style disappeared after the opening credits. Only one shot stuck out to me, and it was because everything surrounding it was dull.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang could have been great, but it ended up being just ok. If you’re a fan of Robert Downey Jr. or Val Kilmer and just want to be entertained for an evening then it wouldn’t hurt to rent this title. However, if you want a slick and clever crime caper that is actually clever, I would check out "Lucky Number Slevin."

**Note that Black’s screen story is based on a 1941 novel by Brett Halliday called “Bodies are Where You Find Them.” The novel is part of a mystery series with lead character Mike Shayne, exactly like the fake mystery series novels that are incorporated into Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’s storyline. It would be interesting to find out how much of this film is taken from the novel and how much is created by Shane Black. I’m guessing a straightforward modernized adaptation would have served the source material better.

Rachel Getting Married: 4 stars

To start this review, I’m going to quote a line from one of favorite movies, “Jacob’s Ladder.” Louis, the main character’s chiropractor and calming voice, quotes the German theologian Eckhart von Hochheim. Louis says, “You know what he said? The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won’t let go of your life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they’re not punishing you, he said, they’re freeing your soul.” That quote has stuck with me since I first watched that movie, and relates very well to “Rachel Getting Married.” The difference is that the main character isn’t in Hell; she is part of a wonderful eclectic family and her Hell exists within herself. She won’t let go of her tragic memories and her family won’t let her. Unfortunately, dealing with the memories or attachments is the only way to heal and a very important part of freeing your soul. This film invites the viewer to watch a small moment in time of one family’s healing process.

Kym, played by Anne Hathaway in an Oscar nominated role, is returning to her family’s home for her her older sister Rachel's wedding. All we really know is that Kym has been in rehab and is allowed to go home for the weekend event. Once there she will have to confront her past and deal with the events that caused her to enter rehab. The house is full of activity and sound as Kym becomes acclimated to her home again. The wedding is being held at the house, so it is full of family and friends making plans, band rehearsal and setting up everything that goes with a wedding. We experience the interactions between Kym and her family (new and old) first hand. We are made a part of her fathers worry, a part of the sibling rivalry, a part of her mothers disconnect and of the awkwardness of strange people in your house. For the duration of this film, you do feel like you are there. You are at the rehearsal dinner and attending the ceremony and reception. You are witnessing the all too familiar verbal exchanges and sudden arguments. If you have experienced anything close to what this family has, then you will most likely become part of the process as well.

The feeling of “being there” is created by the use of a digital camera, which at times is handheld. Those of you who are bothered by the directing of Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday, United 93 and the last two of the Bourne Trilogy) might be bothered slightly by the camerawork in this film as well. However, this isn’t an action movie so there are plenty of steady shots and director Jonathan Demme puts the technique to fantastic use here. In many of the scenes there are some family members, who are shooting on their own handhelds and the camera angle switches back and forth using those perspectives as well, which only adds to the feel of authenticity.

“Rachel Getting Married” is the kind of movie that, unfortunately, does not come around often enough. It is unflinchingly real and honest both in the performances and the manor it was crafted. I think among all of the Hollywood blockbusters and special effects, people forget how difficult it is to make a movie this raw and still have it be relatable and unpretentious. Although Anne Hathaway was the one chosen for an Oscar nomination, which I believe is deserved, I would have no problem with a number of the supporting cast being recognized as well. Add to that the outstanding debut screenplay of Jenny Lumet, which is full of life and sincerity, and you get a final result that is completely refreshing. This is a story about a family, like yours or mine, that welcomes you to the table and asks you if you want a drink. The film is full of humor, sadness, anger and tranquility. Sometimes it seems a little intense and that’s because it is, as life can be sometimes.

Reno 911!: Miami 2.5 stars

Basically, if you like the television show Reno 911! you’ll like this movie. It is just an extended episode. Even though I gave it only 2.5 stars I do like the television show and I enjoyed the movie as well. It’s hard for me to award more since it doesn’t really expand or grow on the big screen.

The basic plot is as follows; The Reno department gets invited to a police convention in Miami. They go to Miami and due to some convenient circumstances become the only available police force in the city. Crazy shenanigans commence. Even Terry somehow makes it to Miami. He is by far the best supporting character in the television show and the fact that he has a role is a good enough reason to see the movie.

If you’re a big fan of The State, a hilarious 90’s MTV sketch show from which a few of the creators of Reno 911! came from, you’ll want to keep a sharp look out as all members make an appearance at one time or another in this movie. Members of The State have gone on to create and star in the tv shows Viva Variety and Stella as well as the movies Drop Dead Gorgeous, Wet Hot American Summer and Role Models. So basically if you find any of those funny, you’ll most likely laugh during Reno 911!: Miami. I personally don’t find it as hilarious as some of the aforementioned work, however even when the jokes don’t make you laugh out loud they are still quietly funny and enjoyable to watch. There are also some great cameos.

This is not a film I’m going to disect or try to find some underlying social commentary in. If that is your goal then watching and dissecting the show Reno 911! is spoofing would probably make more sense. If you have an hour and a half to kill, and you like the television show, then grab some popcorn and sit back for some silly laughs.

In Bruges: 3.5 stars

Even if the film “In Bruges” isn’t your cup of tea you will still leave the viewing with the overwhelming urge to travel to the non-fictional town of Bruges. The filmmakers do a fantastic job of setting the story and action within this gorgeous town while keeping the characters at the center of attention. The town is as described in the movie: fairytale like. The characters are more whimsical than magical and the story too real and violent to be considered a fairy tale themselves.

Two Dublin hit men are on the lam in Bruges, sent by their boss after a hit gone wrong. They are to lay low and await instructions, however that seems to be a lot harder for Ray (Colin Farrell) then it should be. Not only is he not at all impressed with the town, but he also seems to attract trouble like some sort of trouble magnet. You may be thinking this is a perfect role for Farrell given his off the screen antics, but he does much more than phone it in as his performance reminds us what a great actor he can be. Perhaps the Irish brogue let him relax a bit. Brendan Gleeson plays Ken, the more experienced and rational hit man. I guess Ken can be compared to a straight man in a comedy duo; Ray provides all the one-liners as Ken sets them up for him. However, the relationship becomes much more than that as the story progresses and Farrell and Gleeson play off each other with such ease that I hope they work together again soon.

The first third of the movie is spent developing and showing us the personalities of these two hit men. Gleeson wants to actually relax see the sights of the beautiful town while Ray is more interested in getting pissed. He even has a childlike reaction to a movie set they discover while on a nighttime tour of the town. Ray is so funny and Gleeson is so loveable, that you forget for a while why they’re there. In the first few moments of the movie, and in more detail later, it is revealed that Ray accidentally shot and killed a child wile on a job. It was also his first hit, and starting out on the wrong foot is not a good idea in the world that Ray and Ken inhabit. Until that fact was brought up again I didn’t really think about it, as I was too busy enjoying the antics of these two loveable guys. However, the viewer needs to be able to care about Ken and Ray or the second half plot twists and tension just wouldn’t work. Gleeson seems to be naturally loveable as Ken, but Farrell has to make us believe that Ray really is a hit man that is being torn up inside by the atrocious crime he has committed. Ray is and Farrell does.

Ken and Ray work for Harry, a crime boss played by Ralph Fiennes. He doesn’t physically appear until the final third of the movie, but is great when he does. That is one of the best things about this movie; every actor is perfect for their role. I never questioned one of them. Even in some of my favorite movies there are actors, lines or characters that make you go “hmmm?” From the crime boss to the bartender, no one skips a beat in “In Bruges.” Harry eventually delivers his instructions which is when the suspense, action and violence and picks up. Actors from the movie set mentioned earlier become involved with Ray, which adds another needed dimension to the story while not complicating things a bit.

I did mention in the first paragraph that it is a violent film. This is the first time in a while I was actually aware of the gory and excessive violence during my viewing. In this film I believe it to be a necessary narrative device. We come to care about these hit men who kill people for a living. The majority of the film is quiet, funny and set within a beautiful town. Therefore, when these scenes occur within this setting I feel they are meant to shock us back to reality, reminding us of what these people are capable of. Who knows, maybe that wasn’t the intention at all and writer/director Martin Mcdonagh just likes blood and guts.

While I have given you the basic outline thus far, both the characters and plot contain much more detail that I left out. I believe this movie will be more enjoyable if you go in as blind as possible. The sub plots and supporting characters are just so funny, touching and surprising that I feel it is more rewarding to discover them yourself. The script is smart, the setting is beautiful and the actors are fantastic. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who isn’t afraid of a little profanity, politically incorrect hit men or bloody violence.