Comments on: In Bruges* http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/in-bruges/ David Cairns' wilfully eccentric film blog Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:50:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: David Ehrenstein http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/in-bruges/#comment-2548 David Ehrenstein Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:57:11 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=590#comment-2548 I believe it's a song title, Elver. I believe it’s a song title, Elver.

]]> By: dcairns http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/in-bruges/#comment-2535 dcairns Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:52:06 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=590#comment-2535 The decision to have Farrell play Alexander as Irish was...interesting. Made more complicated by having Angelina Jolie as his mum (!) with a Transylvanian accent and playing it as the reincarnation of Maria Montez. David Melville says: "She's the only one who understands what kind of film she's in." But yes, the wig was madness. Hadn't they looked at the Burton version? It's nice to see the British crime film enjoying some kind of recovery from the damage wrought by the post-Lock Stock overkill. People were SO sick of gangster films here for a while. As for London To Brighton, I'm still to see it. Fiona really liked it. Mike Hodges didn't. And I'm afraid I upset the director with my review of The Cottage -- SOMEONE posted pseudononymously in the comments section, and they weren't happy... I thought of comparing In Bruges to The Cottage because they have a huge amount in common, only In Bruges works, but I thought it was time to leave The Cottage alone. The decision to have Farrell play Alexander as Irish was…interesting. Made more complicated by having Angelina Jolie as his mum (!) with a Transylvanian accent and playing it as the reincarnation of Maria Montez. David Melville says: “She’s the only one who understands what kind of film she’s in.”

But yes, the wig was madness. Hadn’t they looked at the Burton version?

It’s nice to see the British crime film enjoying some kind of recovery from the damage wrought by the post-Lock Stock overkill. People were SO sick of gangster films here for a while.

As for London To Brighton, I’m still to see it. Fiona really liked it. Mike Hodges didn’t. And I’m afraid I upset the director with my review of The Cottage — SOMEONE posted pseudononymously in the comments section, and they weren’t happy…

I thought of comparing In Bruges to The Cottage because they have a huge amount in common, only In Bruges works, but I thought it was time to leave The Cottage alone.

]]> By: Elver http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/in-bruges/#comment-2534 Elver Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:08:16 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=590#comment-2534 <blockquote>"...broke my heart in 26 places."</blockquote> Is that expression your own invention? Because it's so good I wanna steal it. And for some reason I liked <em>Alexander...</em> Yeah, the bookend scenes were badly written and it was boring in places, but I felt that it was a film that needed to be made. Simply because it tried to be as authentic as possible.

“…broke my heart in 26 places.”

Is that expression your own invention? Because it’s so good I wanna steal it.

And for some reason I liked Alexander… Yeah, the bookend scenes were badly written and it was boring in places, but I felt that it was a film that needed to be made. Simply because it tried to be as authentic as possible.

]]> By: David Ehrenstein http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/in-bruges/#comment-2528 David Ehrenstein Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:22:09 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=590#comment-2528 Though it opened in "dump" season, <i>In Bruges</i> won some respectable notices this side of the pond, being it's a modest contribition to the post-<i>Performance</i> British crime film. Colin Farrell's main problem in <i>Alexander</i>, outside of Stone's peerlessly stupid script, was the ridiculous blonde wig. Farrell is always a welcome presence, IMO. He's "a lad" who's full of fun and mischief -- and sometimes a bit more, as in the scandalously overlooked <i>A Home At The End of the World</i> where his rooftop waltz with Dallas Roberts to the trio from <i>Cosi</i> broke my heart in 26 places. Though it opened in “dump” season, In Bruges won some respectable notices this side of the pond, being it’s a modest contribition to the post-Performance British crime film.

Colin Farrell’s main problem in Alexander, outside of Stone’s peerlessly stupid script, was the ridiculous blonde wig.

Farrell is always a welcome presence, IMO. He’s “a lad” who’s full of fun and mischief — and sometimes a bit more, as in the scandalously overlooked A Home At The End of the World where his rooftop waltz with Dallas Roberts to the trio from Cosi broke my heart in 26 places.

]]> By: Elver http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/in-bruges/#comment-2527 Elver Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:06:31 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=590#comment-2527 <blockquote>"I hate how my expectations are lowered whenever I approach a British film..."</blockquote> Well, they shouldn't be. There's been some good ones lately. <em>London to Brighton</em> pops in my mind. In fact I think it's so good, I've made it my personal mission to get everyone to see it. I do hate <em>Withnail & I,</em> though.

“I hate how my expectations are lowered whenever I approach a British film…”

Well, they shouldn’t be. There’s been some good ones lately. London to Brighton pops in my mind. In fact I think it’s so good, I’ve made it my personal mission to get everyone to see it.

I do hate Withnail & I, though.

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