In Bruges (2008) - McDonagh's 'hit men in Belgium' idea scores

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Three tough-looking men in dark suits contrastingly placed in picturesque Bruges, Belgium make up this amusing poster for Martin McDonagh's In Bruges

 

Two hit men from London are sent into exile in Bruges, Belgium, following one of them performing the fatal mistake of shooting a child. Their boss' wish to rid himself of the culprit becomes a matter of principle.

In Bruges is written and directed by great English filmmaker, debuting Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)).

Shot almost entirely in Bruges, the film is very preoccupied with its location, - and the city, it must be admitted, is very beautiful. But it is primarily McDonagh's own, original script and strong characters coupled with enthusiastic performances from Colin Farrell (Miami Vice (2006)), Brendan Gleeson (The Village (2004)) and Ralph Fiennes (No Time to Die (2021)) which make this film funny and estimable.

 

Related posts:

 

Martin McDonagh: 2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) - M. McDonagh surprises with a kicker of an amazing movie 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 15 mil. $

Box office: 34.5 mil. $

= Minor flop (returned 2.3 times its cost)

[In Bruges premiered 17 January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 107 minutes. Shooting took place from February - March 2007 in Belgium. The film opened #25 to a 459k $ first weekend in 28 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #21 and in 232 theaters, grossing 7.8 mil. $ (22.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 6 mil. $ (17.4 %) and France with 3.5 mil. $ (10.1 %). The film was nominated for the Best Screenplay Oscar, lost to Dustin Lance Black for Milk. It won 1/4 BAFTA nominations, 1/3 Golden Globe nominations and a National Board of Review award, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. The film had video sales of estimated 4.9 mil. $ in North America alone. McDonagh returned with The Beauty Queen of Leenane (2010, TV movie), The Pillowman (2011, short) and theatrically with Seven Psychopaths (2012). Farrell returned in Pride and Glory (2008); Gleeson with a voice performance in The Secret of Kells (2009), Into the Storm (2009, TV movie) and theatrically in Perrier's Bounty (2009); and Fiennes in The Duchess (2008). In Bruges is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of In Bruges?

The Guard (2011) - J. McDonagh's uproarious crime comedy debut

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+ Best Crime Comedy of the Year

Don Cheadle looks apprehensively over at Brendan Gleeson on this poster for John Michael McDonagh's The Guard

A major cocaine deal goes down in remote West of Ireland, where a local cop deals with things in his very own fashion.

The FBI-agent (Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda (2004)) who arrives as the outsider represents the rectilinear present, while Brendan Gleeson (Calvary (2014)) makes a grand impression in the titular role as Sergeant Gerry Boyle, who represents the immovable, eccentric Irishman.
The Guard is written and directed by Irish John Michael McDonagh (Calvary), whose auspicious debut this is. He is the brother of Martin McDonagh (In Bruges (2008)), and he is busy with his next film, another dark comedy, War on Everyone (2015).

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John Michael McDonagh: 2014 in films - according to Film Excess
Calvary (2014) - McDonagh stands up to moral decline and for faith and the Catholic church, despite everything
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess    

Watch the hilarious trailer for the film here

Cost: 6 mil. $
Box office: 19.5 mil. $
= Big hit
[The Guard is the biggest Irish movie success in Ireland, overtaking the title from The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006). It received great reviews and a Globe-nomination for Gleeson (Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy).]

What do you think of The Guard?

Albert Nobbs (2011) - Glenn Close's triumphant, tender tranformation in García's great film

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1 Time Film Excess Award Winner:

Best Song: Lay Down Your Head, Glenn Close, Brian Byrne; Sinéad O'Connor

4 Time Film Excess Nominee:

Best Actress: Glenn Close (lost to Bérénice Bejo for The Artist)
Best Supporting Actress: Mia Wasikowska (lost to Agnieszka Grochowska for In Darkness)
Best Makeup and Hair: Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson, Matthew W. Mungle (lost to J. Edgar)
Best Song: Lay Down Your Head, Glenn Close, Brian Byrne; Sinéad O'Connor (won)

+ Best Irish Movie of the Year
+ Most Overlooked Movie of the Year

Mia Wasikowska, Glenn Close and Aaron Taylor-Johnson on the poster for Rodrigo García's Albert Nobbs

Albert Nobbs is a UK-Irish co-production that has been in the works for ages: It is a labor of love for its co-writer/co-producer/star Glenn Close (101 Dalmatians (1996)), who played the title character first in 1982 on the stage and won an Obie award for it. The story is based on a novella by Irish writer George Moore (Confessions of a Young Man (1888)).

Albert Nobbs is a waiter at the Morrison Hotel in Dublin. He is proper, introverted, respected and liked. But he carries a heavy secret beneath his spotless suit: That he is biologically a woman. Now, he learns that it might be possible for him to live a more fulfilled life.

Nobbs has a fantastic cast and is a delicious period treat (for those with a hankering for such) with a heart-warming, moving story at its center:
Oscar-nominated Janet McTeer (Hannah Arendt (2012)) is strong as the woman in disguise, who shows Nobbs a way; Mia Wasikowska (Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)) is cheeky and later heart-breaking as a young lady; Mark Williams (101 Dalmatians), Brendan Gleeson (Calvary (2014)) and Pauline Collins (Quartet (2012)) fill out secondary parts superbly; Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point (2005)) has a small, fine role, and, carrying the film, Close is nothing short of stupendous: In Albert Nobbs, she gives one of the most primeval and transformative female performances in years. Within minutes, the way her character has disguised himself in his surroundings is a fact beyond question. Close was Oscar-nominated for her sixth time for this, regrettably not winning her deserved statue this time either. She lost it to Meryl Streep's turn as The Iron Lady (2011) (Margaret Thatcher); also a great performance, but less resonating for me.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Godzilla (2014)) does well as a young ruffian who finds employment at the hotel, but becomes a problem there. His role is never villainized, although it easily could have been, partly thanks to Johnson's acting; however, his otherworldly attractive looks are more of a challenge than a gift for him here, as they actually threaten to stand in the way of his performance.

Brendan Gleeson and Glenn Close in one of the many wonderful scenes in Rodrigo García's Albert Nobbs

Rodrigo García (Six Feet Under (2001-05)) has directed Nobbs well. The film has a keen and sensitive eye for all kinds of disguised habits and personal and sexual traits that are kept out of sight by its characters. It is touching throughout; perhaps especially so is Nobbs' naïve and unknowing attitude towards his own status and possible way forward: It underlines the way people at the time really didn't know much about alternative sexualities and gender mix-ups. (Not that people in perhaps most countries have grown much smarter since, though.) With some irony the film lays bare how a woman like Collins' hotel manager was accepted to misuse and slander about all the people beneath her, while they, in turn, could not (as most) live as they were, if they were anything outside of the accepted norm.
Michael McDonough (Winter's Bone (2010)) has photographed the film with subdued grace. It is co-written by Close, Hungarian writer Gabriella Prekop (Házikoszt (1997)) and John Banville (The Last September (1999)).
One of the film's marvelous scenes is one in which SPOILER Close and McTeer go out in dresses for the first time in years, looking at first mostly like a pair of exotic birds, or, more precisely, as men in dresses. Close's running on the beach is also a very wonderful scene.
The film was also Oscar-nominated for its first-rate make-up and wig achievement by Martial Corneville (Synecdoche, New York (2008)), Lynn Johnson (Apocalypto (2006)) and Matthew W. Mungle (This Is Where I Leave You (2014)).
Nobbs has a perfect ending and credit song called Lay Down Your Head, written by Close and Brian Byrne (The Good Doctor (2011)), sung by Sinéad O'Connor (Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), performer).
- Don't miss this one!

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2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
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Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: 8 mil. $
Box office: 7.5 mil. $
= Big flop
[Albert Nobbs made 3 mil. $ (40 % of its total gross) in the States. It was, disappointingly, wrestled out of theaters by louder, less tender fare. In its many year-long story of development, Amanda Seyfried and Orlando Bloom were previously cast as the younger hotel-employees. (Wasikowska and Taylor-Johnson are undoubtedly the much better fit.) It is a shame that this fine film couldn't break even at least, so buy it on DVD, Bluray or as VoD today and help it out, - it's a great film!]

What do you think of Albert Nobbs?

Calvary (2014) - McDonagh stands up to moral decline and for faith and the Catholic church in spite of everything

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+ Best Irish Movie of the Year

Brendan Gleeson in ecclesiastical robe for the poster for John Michael McDonaugh's Calvary, (which actually gives away the film's ending, if you analyze its elements)

In confession, Irish Father James receives a random death threat due to the crimes of the past from another man of the cloth. In the week leading up to his possible assassination by the unknown perpetrator  we get to know some of the members of the priest's fairly miserable congregation and the man himself.

Irish writer/director John Michael McDonagh (The Guard (2011)) moves up in the European cinematic 'league' with a more serious film here: Calvary is a religiously themed dramedy that both has society-critical bite and a really good priest-hero in Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), who inhabits the part as the region's fallible lodestar with integrity. 
Calvary also encumbers a contemplative treatment of the dark and widespread sexual crimes of the Irish Catholic church. It is painful to see, how the church, - and basic faith along with it, - has fallen so low in esteem partly also as a regrettable bi-product of this.
Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids (2011)) is fantastic in the film, proving his worth to this critic for the first time as an also talented dramatic actor.
The film has beautiful Irish music by Patrick Cassidy (Kill the Irishman (2011)) and a good ending that points forward. Its tone is very permanent in its disdain for what it portrays as bewildered and sinful ways of people today, and this hard-bitten gloom and doom could have done with a splash of sunlight, say in the form of a child. Still the film has terrific characters, writing and performances.

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2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Chris O'Dowd shows a hitherto unknown range and dramatic talent in John Michael McDonagh's Calvary

Watch the trailer for the movie here

Budget: 8 mil. $
Box office: 11 mil. $ (and counting)
= Flop

What do you think of Calvary?

28 Days Later (2002) or, Fast Zombies in England!

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+ Best London Movie of the Year + Best Zombie Movie of the Year

The ominous poster for Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later

28 Days Later is an energetic, exciting Danny Boyle-directed (127 Hours (2010)) zombie horror, written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina (2015)).

The film presents an original spin on a zombie plague and has a nice London-set section. - Zombies are of the new, fast-as-hell kind here. 
 
The span between artsy, alone-in-the-world-thematic scenes and bloody terror in 28 Days Later is sometimes too contrasted for my taste, although some audiences and critics have embraced the film wholeheartedly for this reason in particular.
Cillian Murphy (Girl With a Pear Earring (2003)) and Brendan Gleeson (Calvary (2014)) are good here, but otherwise the performances are not too strong, and parts of the film look like they were shot on an amateur camera.

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Danny Boyle: 28 Weeks Later (2007) or, Fast Zombies in England 2! (executive producer)

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
The Beach (2002) or, Paradise Never Lasts

Cillian Murphy runs for his life in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later

Watch the trailer for this modern zombie classic here

Cost: 8 mil. $
Box office: 82.7 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned 10.33 times the cost)
[28 Days Later was released 1 November and runs 113 minutes. It opened #4, behind fellow new release Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and holdover hits Hulk and Finding Nemo, to a 10 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it then left the top 5 and grossed 45 mil. $ (54.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were production country the UK with 9.7 mil. $ (11.7 %) and Spain with 6.5 mil. $ (7.9 %), where reportedly almost 1.2 mil. people paid admission to see it. Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog Millionaire (2008)) won the Best Cinematographer award at the European Film Awards for his work here. The film has so far spun a 2007 sequel, a graphic novel and a comic book. A 3rd film is in the works. Boyle returned with Millions (2004). Murphy returned in Intermission (2003). 28 Days Later is certified fresh at 87 % with a 7.4/10 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of 28 Days Later?