It is one of those things: nobody ever tells me about the good films. Nobody ever says,

Really, Camilla. You would love this film. It is excellent. I loved it, and I know you would, too. I am not resting till you see it. Because it is that great.

That may be because I am picky and have turned down too many suggestions because of one thing or another. Or it may be because people simply assume that I don't like good films. Or it may be because I simply don't listen when people say "that's a good film". Either way, nobody told me to see In Bruges. Well, Tor may have. Actually, I know he did. But the title didn't sound engaging. It sounded like it was either going to be a boring film or an action film, and I don't often feel like seeing either. And so I didn't see it. And Tor really should have insisted.

About a year later, I have now seen it. And can I just say, it is bloody brilliant. Actually, bloody and brilliant. Brilliant, not in the sense that it glows or reflects light, but in the transferred sense of glowing with goodness and spirit and genius and humour. The film itself is frequently rather dark. Again in both senses.

It is really surprisingly dark (in the figurative sense of dealing with things in themselves not cheerful or bright) for such a funny film. I suspect it might be an Irish thing. And it really is very funny. I think it is a film that should probably be seen with other people, as I saw it on my own and frequently attempted to share the laughter with people who were not there.

Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me but I didn't, so it doesn't.

That was the first main one.
There is something immensely entertaining in Irish people complaining. I don't know. It fits the way they talk, I suppose. I love it. It even made me warm to Colin Farrel, who I had long ago dismissed as another Hollywood pretty boy not worth my time. He is actually rather good. I am surprised. Pleasantly.

And I now want to visit Bruges.

But back to the film. It is frequently pretty, in a gritty sort of way; it is occasionally absurd, somewhat surrealist; it is definitely funny, in an Irish sort of way (that is a good thing); it is very violent, but for some reason I do not mind it; and it is very, very entertaining. It has a racist midget (dwarf); it has Irish hitmen; it features some very strong antipathy against Americans and a very matter-of-factly attitude to crime (which for some reason appeals to me, though I don't know why). It also raises some questions regarding murder v suicide, the morality of killing children and priests, not to mention who is to blame if someone manages to blind you with a blank shot. But it rarely tries to give answers. It just accepts, blatantly, that there are some very strange things happening.

I like it.