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"Forbidden Love"’s Gay Romance is Anything ButThe fact that German television has been exploring these issues more frankly and for a greater length of time is what strikes so many Americans as remarkable. Indeed, in the United States, a same-sex kiss on television is still noteworthy enough to draw attention and only one network primetime program – ABC’s Brothers & Sisters – regularly features same-sex intimacy. As for Christian and Olli, they are not even the first gay characters to kiss on Forbidden Love. Interestingly enough, Julia’s original fiancé, Gero von Sterneck, turned out to be gay and had relationships with both men and women before he left the show in 1998. But the show’s first major gay storyline arrived shortly before Gero’s departure. In 1997, medical student Tom Seifert (Kay Böger) was introduced to viewers. His first relationship was with Ulrich 'Ulli' Prozeski (Andreas Stenschke), but Ulli eventually moved away and in 1999, Oliver “Olli” Sabel (Jo Weil) joined the show. At first, he was simply another extra in the background of the bar No Limits, bartending without any significant dialogue. But fans were taken with the handsome actor and demanded more screen time. Eventually, the writers made Olli the nephew of Charlie Schneider, one of the show’s leading characters.
Kay Böger (left) & Andreas Stenschke Tom met Olli and the two began dating, with Olli making it clear from the start that he identified as bisexual. Complications ensued when Ulli briefly returned to the show, sleeping once with Tom, his former lover. In turn, Olli retaliated by sleeping with a woman. Tom and Olli eventually broke up, causing Olli’s life to spin out of control and culminating in a drug courier job gone wrong. In 2002, Olli left the show to become a steward on a cruise ship. Exactly five years later, Olli returned home, a decision greeted warmly by everyone except Christian, who reacted with a great deal of homophobia when he learned that Olli was attracted to men. The two men reconciled during a camping trip and in a scene reminiscent of Brokeback Mountain (which the show occasionally references), Christian opened up to Olli about his dreams of boxing. This prompted Olli to send an application in Christian’s name to a sports school to which Christian was eventually accepted. The two got along so well that they even became roommates.
In the current storyline, it appeared Olli was headed for a relationship with a woman Christian was dating, but Olli abruptly revealed his feelings to Christian by suddenly kissing him. This led to sexual confusion in the heretofore straight Christian, but after much handwringing, jealousy and mistaken identity, the two men – commonly referred to as Ollian by fans – have settled into a happy relationship. Reflecting Germany’s more casual attitude toward gay people, the show’s other characters have for the most part been quite accepting of the couple. Indeed, Christian’s former girlfriend told him she wanted him to be happy and to accept himself, and the only problem they have run into so far is in trying to get Christian’s brother to grasp that Christian is actually gay. (Thus far, he thinks his brother is only kidding.) Recently, the show also introduced a homophobic boxing promoter who believes he can make Christian a star; no doubt, Christian's sexuality will complicate those plans. No doubt much of the appeal of Ollian has to do with the two actors playing the parts. Thirty-year-old Jo Weil’s first acting job was on Forbidden Love and after leaving the show in 2002, he starred in the drama Medicopter 117, which ran for three years. After that show’s cancellation, he returned to Forbidden Love and the character of Olli.
Jo Weil (left) & Thore Schölermann
In
a recent email interview with TheGaysofDaytime.com, Weil declined to answer
whether he is gay or straight. Said Weil, “I’ve played a lot of straight
characters – and I’ve never been asked whether I’m straight in real life.
That’s how this question, which is asked almost always, makes it seem like
playing gay/bisexual is something abnormal. And that’s why I choose not to
answer it anymore.” The current ratings for the show are around the 2 million mark and an 11% market share in its time slot, which seems to suggest that ‘Ollian’ has had no impact on the ratings in either direction. Engaging as the story may be at the moment, it’s probably best for viewers not to get too obsessed. Verbotene Liebe is a soap opera, after all, and drama is conflict. So fans of the couple should enjoy Olli and Christian while it lasts – but should be prepared for anything to happen. On any soap opera – especially one called Forbidden Love – no romance is ever safe, and down the line there will likely be tears, on both sides of the screen. Michael Jensen contributed to this article. Submitted by on Wed, 2008-05-21 00:53. |
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Thank you for this article.
i hope not
Great spotlight on "Forbidden Love"
Thanks for providing the backstory of Verbotene Liebe. Very interesting stuff.
One point though - wasn't Olli already a roommate of Christian's even before that camping trip? As I recall, Christian was initially quite friendly with Olli till he walked into the living room of their shared apartment and found him making out with a guy he had picked up at the gym.
that, RJ, is correct.
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The Gays Of Daytime
Great article on this show, Wolfgang!
What I really liked was that you showed how any audience get used to gay story lines over the years and how the acceptance rises due to this confrontation - if it is about gay love or even gay marriage: People only are afraid of things that are foreign to them.
As a supplement to this: German soaps even featured gay marriages of their characters (a gay one in the soap Lindenstrasse and a lesbian marriage with Carla and Susanne on Verbotene Liebe aka Forbidden Love celebrated hugely on her fathers castle like any wedding within her noble family before.
It sadly ended in divorce a couple of month ago :-(
Gay soap characters unfortunately aren't more lucky than heterosexual ones ;-)
But I suppose Carla's divorce paved the way for our beloved Ollian, 'cause Forbidden Love usually features one gay couple at a time.
somewhat worldwide phenomenon
although in the article the gay storyline did not affect the rating of VL in germany (which is a good thing since it goes to show that having a gay storyline won't deter german audiences from watching it), i think it failed to mention that the Ollian arc made a big impact in the show's worldwide appeal and actually put VL in the map for most countries around the world via youtube (thanks to ivan, nana et al) and blogs (thanks to wolfi and AE)... i think the ratings would shoot up if they would include viral hits in episodes where thore and jo are included.
now i might be wrong... and i hope that AE or wolfi can shed a light on this... but i do hope that Dars Erste realize how important Olli and Chirstian's story arc to VL's prominence in the overall market of VL... (although they don't necessarily get anything from youtube)... and based on the interview with our two dashing boys, it is well known in germany that they had an impact from around the globe specially beyond europe.
I don't think they care.
--
The Gays Of Daytime
Oh-oh!
It might be the price to pay
It might be the price to pay for the European laissez-faire attitude. On one hand they don't pay any attention to right wing groups. On the other they don't pay attention to gay rights group and the like either.
I also really doubt that gaining some youtube popularity is likely to have much impact on the writers of VL. It's not like they have any way to make money from it. And I'm not sure whether it can really be considered "putting them on the map". I mean, I love me some afterelton but it's still not the same as an actual printed newspaper or an appearance on a tv show and the like. So I would be surprised if it was as much as a dent in their perception/some flattery for them but without any real life impact for them.
Which of course shouldn't stop people from trying to write really nice letters to them or the actors if they truly care about this story. That said, the VL writers are rather infamous for being very obscure about their craft. I get the impression they write tight stories. If you are one of the "chosen" couples you will get a great story (though it will probably include lots of heartbreak and drama) and if you aren't one of the chosen couples then there really isn't much you can do. At this point Christian and Olli seem to be a bit in limbo between the two. Not clear all out chosen couple (like Sebastian and Lydia or Leonhard and Sarah; Or like Tom and Ulli respective Carla and Hanna when it comes to LGTB couples), but not necessarily one of the clearly expendable couples either.
Sigh, I wish somebody could tease the VL writers into an interview so we might gleam what kind of plans they might have for them.
From what I understand they
From what I understand they only broke up Tom and Ulli because Andreas Stenschke wanted to leave the show for bigger and better thing (in his case a music career which I understand never panned out).
I found the Tom and Olli breakup more questionable since it led to Olli having this stange drug transporting storyline and Tom got the baby blues, first trying to adopt a kid and then having an artificial insemination baby with Jule. Exchanging a romantic life for petty scheming.
(which makes me think, wasn't there some story that the often mentioned Tom Chroust left VL for a while to work somewhere else before returning? Makes one wonder if that coincided...)
That said, pretty much no singular couple storyline ever lasts longer than 2 years on VL.
Hmm..
You are right, but you can't be forgetting what you wrote - they broke up but did re-unite at the very end!
BIG amongst fans? Hmm.. you think? ;o)) Yeah, me for instance! I was a Kay Böger addict. With a bunch of people (from the VL das Erste official forum site) we went on pilgrimage more than once. I saw Kay Böger and even briefly talked to him. Cool guy. I remember one instance when he and another actress had just finished talking to us and where trying to leave the car park and kind of turned around in circles to find the exit. We were standing there having fun and they were busy being embarassed! ;o)
Anyway, if the VL writers are at all smart, they won't break up Ollian just yet and if we are lucky, they'll stay a couple once they leave - à la Tom and Ulli.. (a girl can have dreams, no?).
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R.I.P. - Heath Ledger [1979 - 2008]
okay guys....
VL: Setting the standard
I understand that there is a vast difference socially between Western Europe and the United States. For example, as noted in the article, American Tv shows little hesitation about depicting violence, even during timeslots when kids may be watching. This is nothing new. Back in the early days of TV, before cartoons made up the bulk of children's programming, cowboy shows that involved near constant gunfights and fistfights were considered perfectly appropriate for kids.
Homosexuality is a whole other matter entirely, and people who can watch bloody violence on TV or in movies (frequently while eating) often still complain about being "grossed out" or "offended" by the sight of gays on TV. Thus do we have the situation that we do where realistic depictions of gay love are rare, and often not great. Even our current flagship characters, Kevin and Scott on Brothers & Sisters, are a bit "formal" in their displays of affection, and while their kisses are sweet, they are never passionate. They look like the kind of kisses they should have if Nora were watching.
So that brings us to Verbotene Liebe. I think that most of the excitement has been generated because the incredible chemistry that Jo and Thore have put into the characters of Olliver and Christian. The writing has also been excellent and the combination has resulted in something that is better than anything I can think of to-date in the U.S.
Does this reflect German enlightenment? To some extent. My experience with Germans is that most of them are just not as paranoid about homosexuality as Americans and they aren't afraid that they will be "tainted" or "converted" by being exposed to it. I remember sitting in a local bar in Frankfurt having drinks with a coworker and his wife. There were two men in the bar un-self-consciously kissing and nobody showed the slightest signs of caring. At the time that was very striking to me. Because as much progress as we have made in the U.S. I don't recall ever seeing (or doing) that in a generally straight bar/restaurant in the U.S.
But I think that this drives the writers and actors on VL to be less hesitant about showing a storyline like Christian and Olli, and showing it well. The problem for us is that Americans are still too inclined to perceive gay characters on TV as "political", on both sides of the fence. So we have either the absurdly sophomoric relationship of Luke & Noah, or the more mature and genteel (but not especially hot) relationship of Kevin & Scotty.
We can only hope someday we'll catch up to the Germans.
I think there should be another whole article about...
...Homosexuality in Germany.
I translated this gem from Stern Magazin a while ago, maybe some of you are interested:
Can you be gay bashed in Germany? - You bet.
Is there intolerance? - For sure!
Is it as much of an issue as here in the US? - Not quite.
But then, I would expect nothing less of a country where a major politican can come out and say 'Ich bin schwul und das ist auch gut so!' (I'm gay and it's good that way!') and this turning into a catchphrase for Germans gay or straight.
--
The Gays Of Daytime
Let's hope the best!
"We can only hope someday we'll catch up to the Germans."
My first thought on this was "You will, for sure, you will!"
'Cause having gay marriage and comparable institutions in Canada und Western Europe the trend is already 'pro gay' (especially when you guys get a new president in november, 'cause the old one did cost you a couple of years in the progress...)
The only thing which makes me cogitate is the diversity of the U.S. (= the member states)
While the in reality much more diverse Europe (what has Finland with Malta in common?) is getting more and more the same standards via the E.U. throughout its member states, the U.S. stays very diverse throughout their states. And the U.S. is not afraid at all to stand alone in the western world in some issues (I am thinking of the death penalty) That diversity would be unthinkable for a member of the E.U. So I am quite sure, that for every European country, where the situation for gays is not as good as in the U.S. (e.g. Poland) it will constantly get better over the years, because of the E.U. (if they are a member! so not Russia etc.)
But for the U.S. we'll see and maybe due to the new president you will progress a lot.
Germany and Europe
Germany, like the UK, has been in transition in recent years as regards it's attitudes towards homosexuality. Remember that, during the 80's, Thatcher and her Tories passed Section 28 for example, which banned any positive discussion of homosexuality in schools. Now that's since been repealed and gays have civil partnership rights as well.
Likewise, Germany has made a lot of progress on this issue. Klaus Wowereit, the mayor of Berlin (who made the now-famous "Ich bin schwul..." statement) came out and nobody cared. He's generally regarded as a pretty effective mayor for what has been a very troubled city. Guido Westerwelle, the leader of the FDP, a mainstream political party, is also gay. So I think that German public perception of homosexuality has changed. This is not to say they don't still have a problem with wannabe Nazis and other idiots. But things like gay bashing are no longer socially acceptable and the general German attitude of public courtesy extends to gay people.
This has become common in Western Europe, even in Spain which frankly shocked the heck out of everyone. Eastern Europe is less so. Poland embraces hardcore Catholicism as a kind of identity politics after decades of Soviet domination. Many other ex-Communist states are also over-compensating for past humiliations by supporting super-macho cultures that, among other things, denounce homosexuals. In Russia itself Vladimir Putin (still the de facto ruler), well-known for being anti-gay, cultivates an image as a ladie's man as part of his macho persona. Conversely in the morally-pious (at least as we like to pretend it) U.S. this kind of persona would be considered inappropriate for a president (Bill Clinton?).
In the coming years we're likely to see more of an East-West divide in Europe. Gay marriage is formally on the table for discussion in Norway, Sweden and Iceland (remote but technically affiliated with Europe). Social Democratic and other Left-leaning political parties in several other countries have also made it clear they would try and champion the cause if they end up forming governments. But at the same time many eastern countries are digging in their heels and are living easily 50 years in the past on gay issues. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
This is a lot like the U.S. It is accurately observed that we are too large and too fragmented into regional cultures to be treated as one monolithic nation when it comes to social issues. Americans often tend to break into sub-communities of religious or ethnic interest and this is why our politics can be so polarized. We are indeed like many countries under one country.
Whether we can expect positive change after the coming elections depends on who wins. A McCain presidency would be very bad for gay people, as we have some aging Supreme Court justices whose slots he would likely fill with conservatives. Likewise, Congress is still up for grabs. It does not pay to assume we will have a Democrat victory in November. We still have to work for it. And even so, I expect the battle for gay rights will drag on state-by-state for many years to come.
the new president
I don't know yet the different positions of the candidates for the presidential election concerning the gay issues.
I have only Ann Coulter's words in mind that she would vote for Hilary if McCain is gonna be the rep. candidate, cause McCain wasn't conservative at all.
That judgement of hers in mind I thought no matter who'll win - things can only be better than they are with Bush.
As for Germany it is rarely mentioned that not only the mayor of the biggest city Berlin, but also of the 2nd largest Hamburg is openly gay, "Ole von Beust" which is not less remarkable, because not only is he an aristocratic person, but also member of the conservative party CDU.
He is less mentioned though, because he is not a gay role model as he kept his homosexuality private and got blackmailed by the vice-mayor and so was forced to come out.
But nevertheless the conservative party held on to him and he just got re-elected.
So meanwhile every German party has an incumbent leading openly gay politician :-)
Politics
Coulter's statements aside, McCain is still pretty conservative. While he does not support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, he does support amending state constitutions (including his own and California's) to do so.
If put into a position to appoint Supreme Court justices he will very likely opt for conservative ones as a way to prove to the GOP voter base that he does something for them. That could be very bad for gay rights efforts.
He is also not an ally on matters like gays in the military. So really he probably wouldn't be any better or worse than Bush has been on gay rights issues. The main problem is that's not a great position.
As for Germany and von Beust, my impression was that as you said he sort of had to be forced out of the closet and isn't as visible a figure of gay rights in the way that one might see Volker Beck, Klaus Wowereit or even Guido Westerwelle.
That said, we all know that Angela Merkel is Westerwelle's fag hag so even the CDU's iffy when it comes to gay issues.
Also, German (and Western European) political culture is less agreeable to overt religious stances than that of the U.S. This is why ironically despite the existence of "Christian" political parties in several countries, the general tone of politics carries less theological tenor than that of the U.S. Republican Party. Even amongst Democrats the candidates for president (Clinton and Obama) are both taking pains to emphasize their Christian faith, because it is generally acknowledged that one cannot be elected President of the United States without being an openly practicing Christian, preferrably a Protestant.
So I think that Germany does have a progressive edge. Or it will at least until the Turks dominate the population.
Thank you so much Wolfi for
Thank you so much Wolfi for writing this article. Forbidden Love and the Olli/Christian storyline deserve it. And thanks so much for the background information on both characters before they became flat mates.
I think the writers/producers of the show are well aware of the fan craze across the world on YouTube and various other sites on the internet regarding Olli and Christian. I'm hoping this interest will have an influence on how this storyline developes. And just think about it...there are thousands of gay storylines which are playing out across the world, but only a select few actually have this type of explosion of interest. I look at myself, a person who never really watches SOAPS, yet i'm glued to this storyline, counting the days to when Olli and Christian become front and center again. DasErste should look at this and be flattered, humbled by the response, since it is a complement to them and their skills at producing something that can have this impact on so many outside of Germany.
Regarding the Olli and Christian romance...I actually don't see them braking up anytime soon. Infact, the spoilers have them still madly in love into July. I'm sure there will be much trials and tribulations in their relationship, especially with Christian entering the boxing world, but I just have a feeling this particular relationship is going to last. The writers/producers would be mental to break up so soon a couple in which the actors have such amazing chemistry and play Olli and Christian to new heights of believability. And lets not forget how attractive both Jo and Thore are. And putting these two guys together has lovers on screen is off the charts appealing.
Markie...your passion for this couple is what makes them so special, many fans feel the same way you do, myself included. This Olli and Christian love story is just remarkable. And another tibit to make you smile...I read over at the Gaydaytime site that Olli and Christian are one of the most popular couples on the show. Another accomplishment since their relationship is still very young to the show.
playlist so far
Jo/Thore Interview?
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh pretty please mr. michael and the rest of the team... i'm begging you!!!!!
there are currently TWO articles abt. VL and THREE active forums... i think the overwhelming love for VL right now is very evident... please guys... i promise i'll be good and won't shoot down flying monkeys anymore!
AMEN, AMEN to a Jo Weil and/or Thore Schoelermann Interview!!!
Wolfi, thanks for the great read and all that you do over at gaydaytime.blogspot.com.
I also enthusiastically support AE interviewing both Messrs. Weil and Schoelermann. They're doing a bang up job over at VL, and some American actors can learn a thing or two from these gentlemen on what it means to dedicate and commit to the roles actors portray.
So, I'm crossing my fingers that AE posts an interview with Jo/Olli and Thore/Christian. These guys are just terrific, as are the folks who work so hard to subtitle the Ollian story so as to give us poor saps in the U.S. a chance to enjoy this awesome story. God knows anything that VL has shown with respect to same sex romance is over and above anything U.S. network TV has shown or, as I suspect, will ever dare show in the future.
More Ollian please!
Great article!
Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/
It's interesting to see how
It's just old news at this
It's just old news at this point. I read that Tom and Ulli making love for the first time (in a scene that was actually longer and more graphic than anything that Ollian have done so far) actually made some waves in Bildzeitung and whatever. But since then? It's just not a novelity as this point.
The news are more interested in getting sound bites from the gay German Idol winner (last year) or gay German runner up.
Maybe that's the dastardly secret the German media has uncovered. Gay people... potentially just not that interesting? ;) [naturally we disagree]
Is Homophobia a little strong?
No, he acted homophobic
Christian even admits as much when he and Judith discuss the fact that he and Olli really are a couple like she always suspected. He had used the word "fag" at least once that I can remember (actually when Judith first met them and said she thought they were in love, but in fact they weren't a couple yet). Gregor even called Christian out on his behavior at one point, and claimed to have had past affairs with men just to shock Christian's sensibilities. Coco was also surprised by the depth of his negative reaction.
Obviously this exaggerated behavior was a him reacting to his developing feelings for Olli and especially to his concern that it was noticeable to others like Judith. Typical guy insecure about experiencing a same-sex attraction. That and clutching Miriam to himself like a shield at the dance club where Olli was.
In the talk with Judith he looked really embarrassed by it.
Word List
Not that I don't trust Nanna's translations, but maybe a German speaker could post a list of word pertaining to homosexuality and thier translations, and reletive offense level.
The only word I know and recognize is Schwul which seems the equivalent of "gay".
In that scene with Judith he doesn't use the word Schwul when talking about Olli, but it seemed that he couldn't have used anything as offensive as the equivalent of "fag" or Judith would have been more offended.
Although she did take off pretty quickly.
I was curious about the translation also
German words for gay and their translations
Hmmmm.... it's kinda hard to do that because it's often hard to explain why a certain word have gained a negative meaning (like what exactly does fag mean and did it become the fashionable slur to use). Of course it's double complicated if words
Schwul is pretty similar to gay including the way it is used as an insult ("That's so gay"). Most German insults have an implication of weakness/being effeminiate, Schwuchtel, Tunte and the variation of Tunte Tucke have been used on the show. As well as warmer Bruder which is how non-gay people would refer to somebody who is gay or they suspect of being gay. I'm not sure if it is strictly negative, but maybe it can be seen as kind of mocking (though maybe it mocks the concept of intense male friendship more than it mocks being gay).
As you can see wikipedia rates all of these as slightly/somewhat degoratory:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terms_for_gay_in_different_languages
I seem to remember Christian saying Schwuchtel/blöde Schwuchtel (which is sorta the "stupid fag" of German), but I would have to re-watch those episodes.
Plus, in the end is all about how you say it. Like Christian making sure to seem extra disgusted whenever he said gay after Olli kissed him for the first time. Or the way he threatened Olli with physical harm to never tell a soul that he kissed Christian.
Just some thoughts...
Just some thoughts...
You say that with "Der Bewegte Mann" it was "no big deal to be gay on the big screen" but I think you have to keep in mind that this movie very much de-gayd and de-beard the graphic novel from Ralf Koenig it is based on. Basically the film turned the whole focus on the straight characters and reduced the gay characters to comic relief.
If you look at other movies with "gay content" that were successful at the box office (the dreadfull Traumschiff Surprise and Schuh des Manitu come to mind) they almost always seem to fall back on the tired stereotypical (and im my opinion homophobic) portrayal of the gay "characters". So it´s not like Germany is perfect when it comes to the inclusion of gay characters in the media. It could be worse though! If only people would stop believing that David Hasselhoff is a successful singer here...
speaking of ralf koenig...
Der Bewegte Mann
I think the line "Norbert, there's a naked hetero sitting on your coffee table" is unequaled in cinematic history.
And it might be that the comic had a lot more gay in it, but parts of that were subplots... yeah, I'm just trying to defend one of my favourite films.... Sorry, but I love it.
You're absolutely right with Traumschiff Surprise. Horrible, horrible, horrible.
I'll give you Traumschiff
I'll give you Traumschiff Surprise but at least Schuh des Manitou was genuinely funny (at least to me the Karl May reader).
Wir haben den Klappstuhl ausgegraben!
Echte Kerle.
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R.I.P. - Heath Ledger [1979 - 2008]
summerstorm
Kein Schwein ruft mich an
afhickman
"It takes a village (to make Village People)"
You guys are overlooking two great reasons to watch "Der Bewegte Mann": Til Schweiger and Max Raabe. I just bought a two-CD album of Raabe and his Palast Orchester that was recorded in New York and can't wait to get home to listen to it. As for Til, he's done some great work elsewhere ("SLC Punk!), but this may be his sweetest film. Speaking of punks, Joseph, I just saw "In Bruges," and barely recognized Jeremie Renier as a half-blind skinhead named Eirik. At least he's showing his versatility!Jeremie was great in "In Bruges"
You know how much I love Jeremie, and it was great to see him in a comic role (it was also great to see Colin Farrell in a comedy--his loosest, most charismatic performance in years). Jeremie has also received kudos for his latest collaboration with the Dardennes brothers, "Lorna's Silence" (which premiered at Cannes), as a junkie who marries an Albanian so she can get Belgian citizenship.
Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/
"They're filming midgets!"
afhickman
"It takes a village (to make Village People)"
You are so right about both Colin and Jeremie. The movie itself is amazing. But I wouldn't sell it short as a "comedy." After all, the tragedy in Farrell's character's life is no laughing matter (even if a pair of short trousers turn it into one!). It's also a film about "principles." Okay, I'm laughing now, just thinking about it. And a special word for Jordan Prentice: there are no small parts, just--oh, I can't say it.
I'd call it a tragi-comedy
In Bruges is a laugh-out loud comedy that goes to some seriously dark places, and what's great is that it constantly pulls the rug out from under the viewer, one moment is heart-wrenchingly devastating, and the next moment you're laughing hysterically. Colin, especially, manages make his character endearingly funny and heartbreakingly real.
Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/