From the visionary mind of Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh (Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) comes this wildly entertaining mix of dark comedy and crime thriller. Colin Farrell (Miami Vice) and Brendan Gleeson (The General) give career-best performances as Irish hitmen Ray and Ken, who have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it’s in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hitmen make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life-and-death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss (a foul-mouthed Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel). Get ready for the outrageous and unpredictable fun you will have In Bruges—a trip chock-full of demented dialogue, spectacular shoot-outs and an explosive ending you won’t want to miss! The wonderful cast includes Clémence Poésy (Tenet), Thekla Reuten (The American), Ciarán Hinds (Munich) and Zeljko Ivanek (Hannibal).
For thoughts on In Bruges, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/WMru7W_5gmc?t=3848]
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of In Bruges offers a decent uptick in quality over the already-impressive accompanying Blu-Ray, and a slightly bigger jump in quality compared to the older Universal Blu-Ray, most notably in its gains in fine detail, well-defined textures and overall stability. This transfer is from a new Dolby Vision HDR Master newly color graded and approved by cinematographer Eigil Bryld. The film was finished to a 2K digital intermediate, but the Blu-Ray is noted as being from a 4K master which leads us to believe that what we have here is pushing the limits of what we could expect from the source material. It may not be a night and day difference, but it is a very striking transfer and should be comparable to the theatrical experience.
The new disc offers some small but appreciated improvements in the black levels so that some of the darker scenes on the Blu-Ray present more clearly in 4K. Elements such as Ray walking around Bruges at night are more vivid and finely delineated. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep with great detail. The highlights in the film are better defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. The UHD disc contains very deep, stable colors throughout which stay more natural to the environment rather than amping up the vividness. The Dolby Vision presentation allows the film to appear more refined than ever, keeping the desaturated color palette intact rather than boosting unnatural primaries.
Skin tones appear a touch more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. The transfer also reveals an increase in the depth of field in the varied interiors that we visit throughout the journey. You can more clearly make out textures within the bar and the room at the inn. There does not appear any noise reduction or black crush that we detected at any point. With the upgrade to 4K also comes the added benefit of better compression, as this film is allowed more room to breathe on the disc. Some may not find the upgrade to 4K to be a monumental leap for this particular title, but the improvements are apparent and definitely worth it for those who count it among their favorites. Kino Classics should be commended for allowing this film to look the best it ever has on home entertainment.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray release boasts a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 lossless track that seems to be carried over from the previous Blu-Ray that still impresses. This disc perfectly brings this tale to life with a depth and clarity of sound that is not lacking in any respect. As the characters move throughout the city, the sounds of the environment flow out of your side and rear speakers. Each sound is expertly placed with perfect spatial awareness. The track engages all of the channels with sound effects and ambient noise that really makes you feel like you are exploring the city with them. Although, this can be slightly less relaxing once gunfire comes into play and you equally feel in the middle of everything.
Every kinetic sequence features some carefully crafted sound design that comes through flawlessly. The implementation of environmental effects such as bullets embedding themselves into walls and murmurs from crowds come through in a natural way. Dialogue comes through clearly without getting muddied by the score or any sound effects, although some may need to turn on the subtitles to navigate the accents. There is a substantial amount of activity in the low-end when the scenes suddenly shift towards violence. The score utilized in the film comes through with a dynamic fidelity. Kino Classics has once again delivered a strong and faithful audio presentation. There are English subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Strange Bruges: An eight-minute piece in which the cast and crew discuss the importance of Bruges as a setting for this story, how the “small town energy” conflicts with the vibes of the characters, the origins of the narrative and more.
- When In Bruges: A nearly 15-minute piece in which the cast and crew discuss the story and the characters a bit further, the casting of the key cast members, the tonal complexity of the film and more.
- Fucking Bruges: A nearly two-minute collection of the cursing that litters the film.
- A Boat Trip Around Bruges: A six-minute trip around the city complete with some fun historical text facts.
- Deleted Scenes: There are 17 minutes of unused scenes provided here in standard definition which includes some amusing exchanges, but it is hard to argue against the pacing of the film as it stands.
- Extended Scenes: There are two scenes that run a bit longer totaling two minutes including more time on the boat touring around the city.
- Gag Reel: A six-minute collection of flubbed lines, ruined takes, laughing fits and more.
- EPK B-Roll: A 13-minute collection of “fly on the wall” material which shows moments from the production of the film.
- EPK Interviews: Eight interviews are provided totaling 16 minutes which finds the talent answering broad questions about the film and their place within it. Participants include Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy, Thekla Reuten, Jordan Prentice, Martin McDonagh, and Graham Broadbent.
- Trailer: This disc provides the German Trailer (2:30) and the US Trailer (2:30) for In Bruges. There are also trailers provided for Out Of Sight, Eastern Promises and Tropic Thunder.
Final Thoughts
In Bruges is one hell of a feature directorial debut from Martin McDonagh. At this point in time, Colin Farrell was not always given roles that showed his full range of talents, but this film really displayed what he could deliver in all of his glory. The dynamic he establishes with Brendan Gleeson is one of the highlights of the film. There are elements within the script which have not aged as well as we might have hoped, but the overall experience of this film is quite satisfying as it blends dark comedy and bitter drama without much in the way of tonal whiplash. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a really strong A/V presentation along with a pretty good array of special features. If you are a fan of the film, you owe it to yourself to own it on the best format possible. Recommended
In Bruges is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.