Almost There: Colin Farrell in "In Bruges"
Monday, May 11, 2020 at 10:00PM 
Colin Farrell is a fascinating actor. Early on in his career, he got good notices for his work in Joel Schumacher's Tigerland, but his following movies did little to build on that promise and make him a respected up and coming star. Instead, he became a mainstay of action movies of the early aughts, gaining popularity but not being much respected as an actor. On paper, 2004's Alexander looked like his big Oscar bid, but the Oliver Stone historical epic crashed and burned most spectacularly. Still, Farrell has always shown a keen eye when it comes to working with prestigious directors. He's collaborated with Stone, Terrence Malick, Woody Allen, Peter Weir, Liv Ullmann, Sofia Coppola, Steve McQueen, and Yorgos Lanthimos, among others. His work with Lanthimos has been particularly revelatory.
An actor so game to challenge himself and with such a résumé seems like someone who should have left a mark in the awards game. However, Farrell has very rarely been a contender for acting honors. Regarding the Oscars, he came closest in 2008…
In Bruges is Martin McDonagh's first feature after establishing himself in the world of theater and conquering an Oscar for the short Six Shooter. Like many of his works, it explores themes of Catholic guilt, skewed morality, and extreme violence in the context of black comedy that gradually gives way to tragedy. Moreover, In Bruges' structure makes it more akin to a character study than a crime thriller, even though its explosions of bloodiness tend to cloud some of the more delicate psychological portraiture being done. Specifically, this is a portrait of two Irish hitmen from London who have found themselves displaced in the beautiful Belgian city of Bruges.
Ken, played by Brendan Gleeson, is an older gentleman who is perfectly content to await orders while playing tourist. Ray, Colin Farrell's character, on the other hand, is a miserable grump who detests everything about the city. He also seems to hold great contempt for most people who are unlike him, spitting profanities at anyone who crosses his path that tickles his bigotry. Only dwarves are protected from his foul tongue, but then his childish delight feels equally disrespectful, like the spectator of a freak show rather than a human being with adequate levels of empathy.
Through the first act of In Bruges, McDonagh explores the dynamic between these two men and their colorful surroundings, indulging in jokes that haven't aged all that well, and capitalizing on his actor's humorous talents. Farrell, in particular, feels at home in this register of pitch-black comedy, making great use of his hyperactive eyebrows and facial plasticity. His mugging could be bothersome in its broadness, but the floridly vile dialogue suggests a certain theatricality in which those actorly choices make sense. Furthermore, Farrell is magnetic when he's onscreen, managing to make the hideous character of Ray into a compelling anti-hero.
As the plot thickens and execution orders come from England, the film twists its comedy into something darker as the reasons for Ray and Ken's strange vacation become clear. As it happens, when performing a hit on a priest, the younger man accidentally killed an innocent child. Even within the webs of immorality in organized crime, such a deed is unforgivable and Ray must pay for the mistake with his life. What makes the scenario interesting isn't the jerk's desperation to survive but his willingness to stop living. You see, despite his callous appearance, Ray is a man drowning in guilt.
For all his comedic glory, it's when Farrell is tasked with portraying the hitman's internal conflict that he truly shines. In the aftermath of an interrupted suicide attempt, McDonagh lets both his actors tear themselves apart onscreen, Farrell crumbling while Gleeson tries to support him. The insouciant young man suddenly appears as a broken individual, his abrasiveness an exteriorization of the hatred he has for himself. He conveys a man being eaten alive from the inside out, guilt sucking his marrow and infecting his heart until there's nothing left but a numbness masked by a hollow smirk and a couple of witless insults. Only the affection he feels for his colleagues, mainly Ken, is capable of pulling him from the depths of belligerent depression.
Colin Farrell won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical and got himself some much deserved critical acclaim. Still, even with In Bruges getting a Screenplay nod, the actor had relatively little chance of getting in the Oscar lineup. Sean Penn for Milk, Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler, and Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon were locked going into nomination morning. As for Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, he benefitted from the Academy's overwhelming love for the picture. Richard Jenkins for The Visitor was in the most precarious position, having failed to secure a Globe nod, but the quality of his work and the support of the acting community secured him the nomination. Along with Farrell, Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino and Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road were the likely contenders for the dreaded 6th spot back in the 2008 Best Actor race.
In Bruges is available to stream on HBO Now and HBO Go, Direct TV and the Cinemax Amazon Channel. You can also rent it from Amazon, Youtube and others.
Reader Comments (20)
I love the "Almost There" articles. I think some brilliant performances get some magic for not being Oscar nominated in spite of being phenomenal.
Some suggestions from movies I've watched during the lockdown:
.
* Mia Farrow, "Rosemary's Baby" (1968)
* Clint Eastwood, "Thunderbolt and the Lightfoot" (1974)
* Liv Ullman, "Scenes from a Marriage" (1974)
* Nicole Kidman, "To Die For" (1975)
* Cameron Diaz, "Being John Malkovich" (1999)
* Gene Hackman, "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001)
* Scarlett Johansson, "Lost in Translation" (2003)
* Jim Carrey, "The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind" (2004)
* Leonardo DiCaprio & Jack Nicholson, "The Departed" (2006)
* Keira Knightley, "Atonement" (2007)
* Robert Redford, "All Is Lost" (2013)
* Joaquin Phoenix & Scarlett Johansson, "Her" (2013)
* David Oyelowo, "Selma" (2014)
Nasty, homophobic movie. We all see what McDonagh is now.
Nice article. It was wonderful work that I think I preferred to any of the Oscar nominees. A shame he didn’t make the cut. My favorite of his prior to his Lanthimos movies.
And this reminds me that I’ll never understand recasting the most charismatic performer in Fantastic Beasts during that movie.
@Scott C.-I'm so with you on that about Farrell in Fantastic Beasts. To replace him with Johnny Depp was a total downgrade. That's why the 2nd movie really fucking sucked ass.
Farrell is such a talented actor, and so clearly relishes in giving himself over entirely to a director's vision.
It's interesting that he was a muse to both Martin McDonagh and Yorgos Lanthimos for the two films IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING their embracing from the Academy - seems like now that both directors are in the club, if they give Farrell anywhere near as meaty a role as they have in the past for their next features he could finally find himself nominated.
That should have been DiCaprio's year
Duncan Dykes -- That's an astute observation and the parallels are truly vast.
In Bruges was McDonagh's first feature, it starred Farrell and got a screenplay nomination. His next feature film, Seven Psychopaths, saw him collaborating again with Farrell, but this time around there was no Oscar buzz. Following that, Mcdonagh made Three Billboards(...) without Farrell, which premiered in Venice, went on to get many Oscar nominations, and won Best Actress.
The Lobster was Yorgos Lanthimos first feature in the English language, it starred Farrell and got a screenplay nomination. His next film, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, saw him collaborating again with Farrell, but this time around there was no Oscar buzz. Following that, Lanthimos made The Favourite without Farrell, which premiered in Venice, went on to get many Oscar nominations, and won Best Actress.
For both The Lobster and In Bruges, Farrell was nominated for the Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical Golden Globe too. Of those two, I'd love to see him work again with Lanthimos and maybe get some buzz for an acting trophy. However, he does have an untitled project with McDonagh already announced so we'll have to wait a bit longer for a Lanthimos reunion.
Speaking of Colin Farrell's future projects, I can't wait to see him in Kogonada's upcoming After Yang.
I don’t really think he was nearly there, honestly.
But he should’ve been! It’s his best performance by far.
(...well, The Lobster is right up there too.)
I have never seen a pair of eyebrows act so hard as Colin's in this movie.
I love Colin Farrell -- I was just talking about that over the weekend, when we watched THE GENTLEMEN. His career has been very fine, but should have been better. He gets better with age, frankly. Now that his shiny, 'why isn't he an a-list leading man' days are behind him, he gets deeper and more complicated.
And I love this movie. I should certainly revisit it and see if I still love it--after 3 Billboards the bloom may be off the rose--but I was just head over heels when I first saw it, albeit Ralph Fiennes seems too interested in imitating Ben Kingsley in SEXY BEAST.
claudio, thanks for shining light on this performance. ferrell turns in beautiful work here and absolutely should have beat one of those men to the oscar nomination.
farrell is a terrific actor (and hot AF) and hopefully will get the role one day that brings him more well-deserved awards.
Yes for me The Lobster! also one of the nicest actors to work with !
The mystery is why Farrell did not become a bigger star- he has the looks and the talent
Farrell's strength is definitely comedy with a tragic edge,Liked him before this film and always interested in him now plus he has kept his looks.
He's very good here, and I was totally surprised when he won the Globe for it. I then watched it, and not only has it become one of my favorite films, but it really changed my mind on him as an actor.
I also think Ralph Fiennes was robbed of a nomination. Although he was in the hunt with the Duchess that year, his performance here is spectacular and probably the funniest he has ever been (until Budapest).
DO -- i met him at a party for Saving Mr Banks and I was really taken aback at how friendly he was. Not forced at all. Just genuinely nicee.
Honestly, Colin should have run away with the Oscar. One of the most layered and brilliantly played comedic performances that nails the drama in all the best ways. He's a real person. He plays all the parts and lets you feel the anxiety in a way that feels endearing and sympathetic. One of the best performances of the aughts, for sure, and easily better than Oscar's entire lineup (and Rourke and Penn were both very good).
Echoing most of the things here, and knocking the homophobic criticism. Goodness.
Gleeson is worthy of a nod, and Fiennes should have been.
Farrell may very well have deserved the win. He's really outstanding. Plays so much on the surface, but creates a character who lives on the surface, but with burrowed intensity and layered pain. He's outstanding.
The mystery is why Farrell did not become a bigger star- he has the looks and the talent
He like Jude Law was forced on the public in projects that either didn't play to their strengths or weren't any good. Most never recover from the initial over saturation.