In Bruges achieves the very difficult task of being both hilariously funny and tragically sad. This is a combination that director Martin McDonagh and stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson perfected in The Banshees of Inisherin, but the formula came from this film. Our two protagonists both contrast and mirror each other in their outlook on life. Farrell feels the emotional weight of his life as a hitman. It’s something he’s good at but he struggles greatly with the morality of his work and who gets caught in the crossfire. Gleeson has a more melancholic feel about his performance; he’s blocked out the emotions of it all a long time ago and does his job without complaint. He still feels, just not enough to care. This film asks the intriguing moral questions of if we can truly change, and whether it is our actions or how we feel about our actions that defines if we are a good or bad person. Despite the underlying sadness and deep philosophical nature of In Bruges, the film is very funny, with the American tourists, Farrell’s dwarf theory and Ralph Fiennes’ destruction of a telephone all providing genuine laughs. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoyed Banshees. A wonderful piece of Irish storytelling. I would also recommend The Guard, also starring Brendan Gleeson, and Don Cheadle, which is another hilarious Irish film. Fun fact - The Guard is actually directed by Martin McDonagh’s brother John. Another funny Irish one I’d suggest is The Young Offenders. They made it into a TV series after which is still going despite the actors being in their 30s, but the movie is better. Fun fact - The actress who plays the woman at the hardware shop appears in the current season of The Traitors Ireland. Follow for more film reviews and fun facts.