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Joel Cohen once said directing comes down to two words: tone management. And if that's the case, then Martin McDonagh is a master director. In "In Bruges", he strikes a tone where serious discussions of suicide, buddy comedy sightseeing, mobster violence and strange dreamscapes of midgets all fit together in a story that's tight as a clockwork, It's only about as absurd as the world feels at times, and Ralph Fiennes' "inanimate object" scene is one for the ages.
This one is just cruel. They’re both hitmen flicks but with such different tones and both are pretty masterful in their own ways. In the end I went with Collateral bc I’m the type of person who favors the dramatic and serious over the satirical and comic. I will, however, be re-watching both!
For me Collateral is just a good thriller. It has an average script that is slightly elevated by very good performances and direction. But not a film I'd want to watch a second time. In Bruges on the other hand is close to a masterpiece. I love its unique blend of melancholy, humor and suspense. Easy pick.
Wait... is it mandatory to use the F-Word when supporting In Bruges in this poll?
Collateral is a shoo-in for me. I've recently re-watched it and I was struck again by how slick, economical, and tightly wound it is, while still being quite funny. (Also... so many great actors, most of whom I had no idea who they were at the time!) I was a teenager at the time of its release, and was totally unaware of the DV controversy that seems to have been associated with this movie. Seeing it now, it works so well, making the movie just that much grittier, more low-fi looking, and maybe even makes it feel more immediate and real. There are weak spots, and I still wrestle with the very end of the movie from a realism standpoint (thematically, however, its just right). But every scene with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx crackles. I remember being amazed at Tom Cruise playing a bad guy (principled and philosophical and charming while also being dangerous and badass) and Jamie Foxx playing, well, a dramatic role, and nailing every moment of it. Collateral wins.
Are there seriously f***ing people that are going to f***ing vote against In f***ing Bruges? They're all inanimate f***ing objects!
Kansas City, MO
This is probably the hardest play-in match for me. Collateral is such a cool film, and as others have mentioned is an excellent example of digital movie-making. In Bruges has a great sense of humor and memorable performances. I think Ralph Fiennes tips this in McDonagh's favor for me.
Erin Teachman (Washington, DC): "COLLATERAL is one of the first movies I saw that took the aesthetic potential of digital video seriously."
I symbolically upvote this. Before COLLATERAL (and before David Fincher's ZODIAC), I was an absolute film purist in the film v video debate. The most prominent filmmaker before this I mostly associated digital with George Lucas & ATTACK OF THE CLONES. A negative association, obviously. The lower budget reference points for DV at the time were 28 DAYS LATER (a film I like in spite of its visual aesthetic) and FULL FRONTAL (unlikely the champion of "Filmspotting Madness: Steven Soderbergh's Oeuvre").
COLLATERAL showed that DV had advantages, particularly its ability to capture low-lit nocturnal cityscapes. After COLLATERAL I started to defend DV and became a film school heretic.
Collateral, quite easily for me. In Bruges is fun, though.
COLLATERAL is the film that made me re-think Michael Mann as a filmmaker. I think this is one of the first movies I saw that took the aesthetic potential of digital video seriously, it's a much more visually ambitious film that IN BRUGES. BRUGES is fine, full of fine performances, but it also feels like a play with a large set. COLLATERAL is also low key, a great ensemble movie (Javier Bardem, Barry Henley, Mark Ruffalo), beyond two amazing, gripping performances from Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise. I gotta take COLLATERAL here.
I love both these films, but, great day this has turned out to be. I’m suicidal, me mate tries to kill me, me gun gets nicked and we’re still in f***ing Bruges!
Monticello, AR
If this is my one shot at having a Michael Mann film in this bracket, then so be it. Give me one of Cruise's most threatening performances and Mann's trademark existential ponderings.
What?! Why is this even here?! In f***ing Bruges every day of the week and twice on Sundays. You’re embarrassing yourselves... (joke!). Seriously though, don’t make me break out my Don Logan again...!
You're killing us! Two great movies!