"In Bruges" is a startling fresh and a great start for Martin McDonagh, a first-time feature film director. McDonagh has already captured the attention of some within the film world for his Oscar award-winning short from 2005, "Six Shooter". He has a great knack early here for situations and dialogue. Some have mentioned he might be the next David Mamet, but who knows, his theater work helped honed his talent for multi-layered situations which juggle comedy and drama excellently.
After a botched assassination attempt, Harry sent Ray and Ken to Bruges, Belgium to enjoy their time for a couple of weeks, while he figures things out. Ray (Colin Farrell) could careless, Bruges is a horrible place to spend time in. Ken (Brendan Gleeson), who rather likes Bruges after some sight-seeing, gets a call from Harry (Ralph Fiennes) telling him what he must do with Ray. From here decisions must be made.

It seems to be a rather simple gangster tale and really it kind of is. But that doesn't stop McDonagh writing to carry us deeper in each characters mind and emotions, taking us into their world, for good and for bad. Characters are slowly developed through their drama and comedic situations. McDonagh handles the comedy subtly; he doesn't make it apparent, this isn't comedy like Judd Apatow. The comedy comes from the situation and it's really up to you to find it funny. It plays like dark humor; the characters aren't trying to be funny, it's just that it is funny. Sharply written comedy is juxtaposed against some underlining themes of the film.

I won't reveal spoilers, but Ray is haunted by something he done recently. Staring at a painting as he and Ken visit a Bruges museum, he takes a liking to it. The painting is filling with visions of Heaven and Hell, but the thing that catches Ray's eyes is the people shown in Purgatory. Through all the laughter and playfulness that is Ray, he finds his purgatory and has too make a choice: let what is bothering him into Hell (for which he believes is Bruges, an ongoing joke) or face it and move on. This is where McDonagh really shines in his writing, this juggling act of gangster comedy and conscience.

Add some dependable actors to the mix, like a Ralph Fiennes, like a Brendan Gleeson, and perhaps it's working with fellow Irishmen, but Farrell delivers one of his better performances in a good while, the film shines. Great dialogue isn't great because it's been written; great dialogue is great because of line delivery from these good actors. Ken's (Gleeson) bit about how Harry (Fiennes) personality is will have you laughing hard, as they deliver it so earnest and straight.

Before you can label anyone great, you must look over their work. While all McDonagh has is a short (albeit one in which he has won an Oscar) and this, you can at least label him a newcomer to watch out for. While the gangster genre has gotten stale with immature, McDonagh delivers a solid breathe of fresh air. One of 2008's early surprises and one of its best…thus far.