Maybe purgatory is ***** Bruges. Welcome back to BYOB where this week we're getting stuck into a modern classic 'In Bruges' from 2008. This was Martin McDonagh's first ever feature film which he both wrote and directed. So much of his brilliant writing pops in this film brought to life through the magnificent Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell.

To give you the blurb - Ray and Ken (Farrell and Gleeson) play two hitmen that have just had a job go horrible wrong. They are sent to Bruges by their boss Harry, to wait for their judgement on what will happen next to them. What unfolds over the course of the film is a dissection into the moral status of our two leads. We see their restlessness, their discomfort, their humour and their virtue and are encourages to reflect on whether when all is said and done - will ultimately they be judged as good or bad people. The beauty of this film is that it invites the audience to have a look at their own life, how not everything is black and white. But what did you make of Ray's character in particular? Did you think he deserved his fate at the end?

The central location of Bruges plays such a massive part in the film, and the boys break down why it was such a perfect location, how it was shot and why Martin Mcdonagh had a very specific set of thoughts and views about his central location for the film. We get into the discussion about the beautiful intent in his writing as well as the arc that he sends the characters on.

When the lads selected this one - one of the big things they discussed was how this film impacted the creation of the Banshees of Inisherin, and we can't get stuck into a Martin Mcdonagh film without having a little natter about his oscar nominated offering from 2022. What an unbelievable film! That also sparks some big discussion about how magnificent the performances of Gleeson and Farrell are, and the guys have a very difficult decision to make in terms of their MVP.

Given that the film ultimately is asking the eternal questions of good and evil - it's almost quite difficult to age this one. There's so much in there around the fact that Bruges itself is so steeped in history that in terms of the fine wine, war crime conversation

Bring Your Own Blockbuster isn’t just a film review podcast, we try our best each week to dive deep into the themes and discussions that make cinema so special - and we’d love to hear your feedback on the film. What did Thelma and Luise make you feel? What did we miss? Get involved and tell us what you think on social media, you can find us everywhere at @byobpod

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Broadcast on:

29 May 2023