People who have seen his plays seem to have known this for years, but having only been exposed to his two feature films, I am really developing an appreciation for Martin McDonagh’s unique voice as a writer and filmmaker. In Bruges is a movie that seems to surprise just about everyone who sees it in terms of its level of humor and its unexpected depth. He has a really interesting way of throwing in little notes that catch you off guard early on so that you’re on your toes for the duration of the film. This was a trend that continued in Seven Psychopaths.
Woody Harrelson’s attachment to his dog Bonny, played by Bonny the Shih Tzu, is the premise around which basically the whole of the movie revolves. He’s a villain, but we don’t know much about him aside from the fact that he is capable of violence, and that he loves his dog. He doesn’t even seem to necessarily want revenge. He just wants his dog back. This is just one example from this film of ways McDonagh can take a trope like a violent villain and make it completely fresh and interesting. And the fact that it’s such a, in the words of Sam Rockwell’s character, gay little dog makes it even more bizarre and hilarious. And adorable, obviously.
Are there any animals you’ve seen in movies and just fallen in love with? Add your own favorites in the comments section below.
