Ray (Colin Ferrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are a couple of Irish hitmen who’ve botched up their latest job big time.  Their much feared boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), dispatches them to Bruges to lay low and await further instructions.

Ray is brash, offensive and immature. He thinks Bruges is a boring “shithole”. He is from Dublin, he explains to Ken. Bruges could only impress him if he “grew up on a farm and was retarded”. Ray is also the main reason the men are there and he is painfully aware of it.

Ken is older, more experienced and a lot more patient. He is happy to spend the days looking at old churches, climbing up bell towers and perusing guidebooks.

The two men settle into kind of a routine. Ken with his sightseeing, keeping a fatherly eye over Ray, and Ray getting into all sort of trouble involving a pretty local girl, an American dwarf and stolen drugs.

Then, Harry calls.

Half way through In Bruges, I made a casual observation to myself that it felt a little like a play. Not because it was stagy, but because the focus was mostly on just two characters and their continual dialogue.  It was fitting then to discover that it was written and directed by Martin McDonagh, a playwright. I have heard of McDonagh but am otherwise not familiar with his work. This film makes me want to change that.

His script is perfection. Laugh out load funny, it slowly and expertly reveals the many layers of his protagonists while constantly surprising you with wicked and unexpected plot turns. Yes, it’s a comedy, but it has a dark heart and sad undertow which raises it to a whole other level.  It also provides three first-class actors with plenty of material to show off their skills.

I know Gleeson from various minor roles and I’ve only ever seen Ferrell in bad action films, but they are both knock-out, playing off each other and creating two characters who totally take you in.  These are not glamorous Hollywood hitmen, traversing the world and gunning down baddies from rooftops. These are tough men, doing a nasty job in the service of some even nastier people - by choice - but still undeniably human.

And what till you meet Harry. If the titles The Trouble with Harry and With a Friend Like Harry... hadn’t already been taken, either would have been fitting for this film.  He doesn’t even appear in person well until the end, but by then you just know what he’s capable of and are scared of it as much as his employees. Fiennes is well known for his thoughtful, romantic roles but he does one hell of a villain. I don’t mean Lord Voldemort - evil personified - villain either. Harry is a multifaceted thug. A successful underworld figure, a family man, a feared boss and a man of principals. He ain’t no hypocrite and it is this quality which provides the movie’s brilliant pay off.

If I did stars, this would get five out of five.

Take a look here

Take a park in the middle of the city Bruges, a stage, a lot of stalls with all types of food and a great line up going from European rock, funk to world music. Garanteed fun and good vibes. Our fixed apointement in around the second week of July.

Saturday: arrived a bit late (tour de France on the tv) but just on time to see Pinback. Singer with a giant beard (could he leave and return without any problems to the United States with such a look?). Never seen them before in a clip or a concert but I have a CD of them. Penelope is a small jewel. First time goosebumps.

Next: the Cinematic Orchestra. Great start (sexy) but to my taste not a real party. Everything after it sounded the same as the first song. A bit boring but what the hell... perfect soundtrack for a beer combined with a wrap with salmun (hmmm.... I like it).

After the cullinary intermezzo: Dinosaur Jr. Jouth centiment from the time I went to parties and needed to be home around 1 o' clock or I was punished. A strong, fast set... just simple: rock 'n roll.

Arno was the first concert I was longing for. I know him a bit from my Brussels time (we shared the same neighbourhood). What his music makes so good: he's simply European. Cut the crap of English, French or even Ostends... music is universal and we need to be open for everyone (no borders!). Arno gave the public what they want: a great gig. Goosbumps with "Les yeux de ma mère" (can someone make a better ode to his mother?) and pure adrenaline with "Oh la la la" and dancing on Belgiums (or European) alternative anthem: "Putain Putain" (Putain putain, c'est vachement bien, nous sommes quand meme tous des Européens!). This would be the perfect headliner (I wouldn't disapointed if this was the last concert of the day).

But this wasn't the end: Starsailor was the healiner of the day. A good band but they did not bring what I love at festivals (especially a headliner). A bit to slow to my opinion (but I confess guilty since I did not knew their music except Four to the Floor).

Again an Cactusfestival advantage: we can go home on our bikes and sleep in our own bed (perfect for my age of +30 LOL).

Sunday: the last day of Cactusfestival. If Cadel Evans stayed on his bike in the tour the France we would be earlier :-(

But I really wanted to see Arsenal. The only band on Cactusfestival with all their CD's in my collection. Maybe an atypical Belgian group but they really know how to make a summer soundtrack with influences from around the world. Sun above Bruges, dancing in front of the stage. Perfect. I was disapointed when they stopped 20 minutes to early but lucky it was a mistake and they brought a great return. Who can stand still on "Personne, ne bouge". Check their website.

We didn't not knew The Kills so we went for some food (vegie burger!) and beer. When we returned they were still busy. They sounded suprising. A little bit arty with only a guitar and bass on the stage. Good.

I confess... didn't see anything of Sophia with their string quartet. We met some freinds and the talking took a bit to long.

One of the last concerts: Bootsy Collins and the Hardest Working Band. I was again the"Phelistine" since I didn't knew them. Untill they started: it was a tribute to the king of Funk "James Brown". I'm actually not such a big "funk queen" but I couldn't listen without dancing and jumping. James Brown wasn't dead at that moment.

The "piece de resistance" of Cactusfestival was the last concert on Sunday (or actually Monday morning): Youssou N' Dour. It was midnight, I had it could (perfect clothed for a warm day but not for the cold nights) and then they anounced that Youssou had 15 minutes delay. The 15 minutes were already 40 minutes before he came up. Just 2 minutes before my deadline to go home. Lucky he has great music straight from Dakar, Senegal. I almost cried when we stand with our fists in the air for a positive Africa: the Africa of the smile, the music.... I want to fight for this dream... sadely we need to go home in the middle of the concert (my lover needed to get up on monday for work).

My top 3 of Cacts: Arsenal, Arno and Youssou N' Dour (Youssou would be first if he didn't start 40 minutes to late).

Enfin bref, on sait tous que les nageurs sont parmi les vraies chances de médailles et bien nous on l'a trouvé notre albatros. Sa tactique est simple : l'usure !

Lorsque les autres albatros se nourrissent de poissons, de calamars ou de krill, le notre se nourrit de rillette et de vin. Alors que les autres albatros sont capables de plonger à faible profondeur, lui n'hésite pas à plonger au fond de la piscine.

Alors que les albatros nichent en colonies généralement sur des îles isolées, lui vit tout seul dans des villes pleine de monde. Alors que les couples d'albatros sont généralement fidèles pour la vie, lui....

Alors que les autres albatros font une parade nuptiale tous les ans ponctuée de danses rituelles durant lesquelles les deux oiseaux se frottent le bec l'un contre l'autre, lui la fait la "tumba" (et pas la tounga !) tous les samedis, et pour le bec, euh...joker.

Mais notre albatros à nous n'est pas seulement un oiseau de nuit, c'est aussi un poète qui chante "Manon" à ces adversaires pour mieux les endormir au bout de la nuit; c'est son côté "Spleen" à lui, son côté déchiré entre l'aspiration à l'élévation et l'attirance pour la chute (dans la piscine) qui nous rapelle le Charles (pas le Grand, l'autre) et son albatros :

Souvent, pour s'amuser, les hommes d'équipage
Prennent des albatros, vastes oiseaux des mers,
Qui suivent, indolents compagnons de voyage,
Le navire glissant sur les gouffres amers.

A peine les ont-ils déposés sur les planches,
Que ces rois de l'azur, maladroits et honteux,
Laissent piteusement leurs grandes ailes blanches
Comme des avirons traîner à côté d'eux.

Ce voyageur ailé, comme il est gauche et veule!
Lui, naguère si beau, qu'il est comique et laid!
L'un agace son bec avec un brûle-gueule,
L'autre mime, en boitant, l'infirme qui volait!

Le Poète est semblable au prince des nuées
Qui hante la tempête et se rit de l'archer;
Exilé sur le sol au milieu des huées,
Ses ailes de géant l'empêchent de marcher.

Merci Charles !
Et oui, il est déroutant, comme sa tactique, alors que les autres dorment, lui continue de nager toute la nuit :

Il prie Saint canon !

Il s'entraîne dur :

Il se concentre :

Puis se remet au travail :

Aucune chance les autres : notre albatros est trop fort !

Pour la petite histoire : l'albatros était le surnom de Michael Gross, nageur allemand ayant rafflé nombre de record et de médailles dans toutes les compétitions au cours des années 80, notamment aux JO de Los Angeles et Seoul : cliquez ici pour en savoir plus.

]]> http://nodependenciesnologo.wordpress.com/?p=1218 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:22:45 +0000 Nils Geylen http://nodependenciesnologo.wordpress.com/?p=1218

A dovecote or dovecot is a building intended to house pigeons or doves, which were an important food source in history. In some cultures, particularly Medieval Europe, the possession of a dovecote was a symbol of status and power and was consequently regulated by law. Only nobles had this special privilege known as droit de colombier.

That's from Wikipedia.

This is the dovecote in the Flemish town of Assebroek, Bruges - which I visited last Sunday.

It's a fifteenth century construction following the fashion of the time: a polygon shape (an octagon) with 696 L-shaped niches on the inside and two entrance and exit holes.

On the inside, a narrow staircase or a ladder made it possible for manservants to scoop out the chicks and have them prepared - in the kitchen.

More recent dovecotes (used for for pigeon sports) are constructed reversely; the homing pigeons don't need to be cooked, but have to be able to fly out and race - so they have a lot of holes in the walls.

It's a pretty unusual building to look at, and this one near Bruges is a national landmark. Other dovecotes of note are in Scotland and Normandy, France, where they date back to the 1200s.

2008.  Rated R.  Out on DVD.  Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh.  Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy, Jordan Prentice and Thekla Reuten.

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Not that the genre of quirky dark comedies about criminals needed another entry, but earlier this year In Bruges was released to very little fanfare despite some star power and generally decent reviews.  It has the requisite laundry list of ridiculous characters -- suicidal hitman, crime boss family man, racist midget, Dutch prostitute, angry Canadian, etc -- and takes place and was entirely shot in Bruges, the medieval Belgian city.  Essentially, all you need to know plot-wise is that two hitmen (Farrell & Gleeson) are sent to Bruges to lay low by their boss (Fiennes) after a job gone wrong in London.  Hijinks, and lots of midget jokes ensue.

Farrell & Gleeson have good chemistry, and it's nice to see Farrell once again show that he can actually act, like he did so long ago in the underrated Tigerland.  Gleeson inhabits his role as usual, and is so likable that it's tough to buy him ever being a hitman.  It's weird to hear Ralph Fiennes do a non-posh accent, but he's actually really good in a departure from his signature roles.  Prentice, as the aforementioned racist midget, is given a thankless role but is actually not bad.  Poesy does an excellent job of being hot.

The characters are pretty well-defined and the dialogue is consistently sharp and witty and essentially is what makes the film work in the limited way it does.  After the first 15 minutes or so, the film's pace picks up, and McDonagh does a good job of using the location of Bruges.  It's not a great directing job, especially in the action parts and the closing sequence, but it's competent.

However, the strengths of the film don't completely overshadow the multiple weaknesses -- the plot is very predictable and it takes awhile to get going.  The ending is absolutely fucking ridiculous (which knocks it down at least a grade) and worse than that it's so totally telegraphed that I would surprised if most of the audience didn't see it coming.  There's also the whole token beautiful girl falls for main character for absolutely no reason subplot.  Finally, much of the action is predicated on the notion that a big, bad crime boss would actually go himself, BY HIMSELF, to help clean up the situation.

In Bruges is nothing we haven't seen before (in of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch, for example) but it's a pleasant enough diversion.  It was barely released in the U.S. and comes to DVD at a time when there are actually interesting movies in theaters, so if you miss it, well, you're not missing a lot.  But it's better than the standard Hollywood fare and probably worth a rental, and certainly worth it on HBO or something like FX two years from now.

Grade: B-

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De hele film zit vol typische Britse humor. De quotes zijn dan ook werkelijk hilarisch. Zo vertelt Ray (Colin Farrell) een mop over België.

"Don't know any Belgium jokes, and if I did I think I'd have the good sense not to...hang on. Is Belgium with all those child abuse murders lately? I do know a Belgium joke. What's Belgium famous for? Chocolates and child abuse, and they only invented the chocolates to get to the kids."

Meer memorabele quotes hier.

In elk geval: de toeristische dienst zal de makers van de film erg dankbaar zijn, ook al wordt de stad voortdurend vergeleken met 'a fucking shithole'.

Voor de rest vond ik het verhaal enorm langdradig en het is jammer dat ze de 'Vlamingen' in de film een Frans-Duits accent hebben gegeven. Mannen, jullie hebben een paar maanden in Brugge gezeten, weten jullie nog altijd niet welke taal wij praten?

Maar soit, Colin Farrell speelt een rol waarin ik hem totnogtoe nooit in gezien heb, maar 't gaat hem wel af!

Dus: ga voor de 'witty' quotes en blijf voor Colin Farrell :-) En verwacht er niet te veel van, dan word je niet teleurgesteld... Al bij al een film die je gezien moet hebben.

No heu pensat mai de fer una volta per Flandes. Doncs mal fet, perquè en molt poc tros s'acumulen les millors ciutats d'art del món. Un cas semblant al de la Toscana italiana. Ciutats com ara Anvers, Brusel·les, Gant, Malines, Lovaina o Bruges. I és que Bruges destaca d'entre totes les bellíssimes ciutats belgas pel seu encant i atmòsfera, molt especials. http://www.brugge.be/ Els canals, que la fan com una Venecia petitona, la gran plaça i el Beffroi o el palau de l'ajuntament, Sant Bavó, que és la seva catedral, o el Begginage, que és un barri medieval de dones monges donen a Bruges un esperit molt difícil d'explicar amb paraules. Bruges està a només 40 kms. de Gant, a 60 de Brusel·les, Anvers o Malines. Tot Flandes cap en un territori com ara Catalunya. Per això, aneu a Flandes i recorreu-la en tren, molt fàcil, o en bus o en cotxe, o fins en bici. http://www.flandes.net/ 

No habéis pensado nunca en dar una vuelta por Flandes. Pues mal hecho, porque en muy poco espacio se acumulan las mejores ciudades de arte del mundo. Un caso parecido al de la Toscana italiana. Ciudades como por ejemplo Amberes, Bruselas, Gante, Malinas, Lovaina o Brujas. Y es que Brujas destaca de entre todas las bellísimas ciudades belgas por su encanto y atmòsfera, muy especiales. http://www.brugge.be/ Los canales, que la hacen una Venecia en miniatura, la gran plaza y el Beffroi o el palacio del ayuntamiento, San Bavón, que es su catedral, o el Begginage, que es un barrio medieval de mujeres monjas, dan a Brujas un espíritu muy difícil de explicar con palabras. Brujas está a sólo 40 kms. de Gante, a 60 de Bruselas, Amberes o Malinas. Todo Flandes cabe en un territorio como por ejemplo Cataluña. Por esto, si vais a Flandes podeis recorrerla toda entera en tren, muy fácil, o en bus, en coche, o en bici.   http://www.flandes.net/

So, back when I decided to make a quilt a few months ago, I wasn't really sure what I was doing. Quilt making? Did I like quilt making? Was I even any good at sewing? Where had this newfound interest come from? And why on Earth did I want to make a quilt...? Wasn't this a knitting blog...??

Nonetheless, the quilt was made and is still holding itself together admirably, however it is a little on the small side. So, I've been thinking. Maybe time for another quilt?

With these thoughts in the back of my mind I unexpectedly happened upon this lovely shop in Bruges, Belgium, while visiting for the weekend (in celebration of my recent birthday) (nope, not telling how old I am!). Bruges by the way is the cutest little town and very well known for its lace making history and of course its delectable Belgium chocolate (yay for Chocolatiers on every street corner!) (and ones selling vegan chocolate at that!). 

The shop in question was quite a find, stocking everything from little rubber stamps to wooden toys to handcrafted fabric items. Some of which they had displayed outside:

These quilts were all hand sewn, and had a certain simplicity to them. They looked soft and inviting and... 'basic'. Looking them over I felt compelled to make another, larger quilt in subtle tones like these. One that would be softer than my first attempt with Amy Butler's heavy weighted cottons and one that would be large enough to actually be useful. The first one I made was done by machine, but for this one I intend to have a go at hand quilting the layers together. Interesting to see how that goes as my hand sewing skills are slightly lacking - perhaps it will give a rustic look?

At the core is a very short story of two hitmen who have landed in Bruges to hide after a job gone horribly wrong. Here, they dwell upon the very nature of thier job and the reason etc...To lengthen the movie we have a love angle in form of a drug pedeller Chloe.

And yeah.. there are some comedy sequences too...

With the story at hand, the director could have gone for a hardhitting film and dwelled more in depth into the characters of the two hitmen Ken & Ray played by Brendon Gleeson and Colin Farrel respectivley. Ken the senior one while Ray the newbee, who has botched up his first job. They could have been used wonderfully to represent two perspectives. But alas the opporunity has been wasted.

The only saving grace of the movie is Ralph Fiennes who plays the Harry the ganglord boss of Ray & Ken. He portrays Harry convincingly.

Go watch this movie if you really dont have anything else to do. All you get is a couple of laughs and one decent performance. And ofcourse a sightseeing tour of historic city of Bruges. With its canals and medieval structures it surely is a beautiful city.

Bruges – ochiul adormit al zidăriei policrome.

Poate prima sugestie pe care mi-a trezit-o Buges-ul a fost aceea de loc al candorii. Spaţiu al ludicului, poate al oniricului, ceva de ochi adormit. Zidăria policromă urcă, dintr-un somn revelatoriu, în salba de creneluri în scară, născute din bucuria unui burg de jucării.

În tot centrul din Bruges cronologia faţadelor trimite la vremurile unui apus de ev mediu.

Surprinde în special forţa agitaţiei din oraşul acesta adormit dar în mişcare: nervozitatea cailor de categorie uşoară şi viteza caleştilor, somnolenţa pasului cailor de categorie grea şi lentoarea carelor care fac turul burgului, omniprezentele biciclete, unele adevărate limuzine şi bărcile pe canale.

Solemnitatea cavalerilor de piatră şi ludicul trăitorilor obişnuiţi ai oraşului, surprinşi într-o scenă de tandreţe, cu mâinile adunate întru-un gest de ofrandă.

Somnul timpului se percepe în special pe canalele din Bruges. Cu legănarea începe visul, cu apa aceea de o densitate aparte, lichid primordial sau poate fluidul unei alchimii nepedepsite, liberă în jocul său.

Are un miros anume, pe care lebedele îl ştiu şi îl pasc printre pietrele şi cărămizile canalului.

Da, cu siguranţă e voluptate şi, poate, o estetică a putridului în miezul verde al canalelor.                        

Bruges (pronounced "broozh"), the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travellers from all over the world. But for hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), it could be their final destination; a difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right before Christmas by their London boss Harry (two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) to go and cool their heels in the storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks.

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"...acest Bruges, ca o lebădă a morţii" , cum spune Georges Rodenbach, ne-a chemat la un eveniment neaşteptat: o expoziţie de pictură, grafică şi sculptură SALVADOR DALI!

Numai după cîţiva paşi, răsfoind frisonaţi gravurile, grafica şi acuarelele lui Dali, am dat peste cîţiva FLUTURI!

Erau alegorii ale Morţii, ale Vieţii, ale Iubirii, pluteau crispaţi printre linii, stăteau acolo, prinşi întru eternitate pe o tulpină de trandafir...

Un fluture stropit cu albastru îşi măsoară umbra peste cea a unui demon_înger. La Dali nu ştii niciodată care e îngerul, care e demonul, sunt interschimbabili, işi fac servicii reciproc; la Dali totul curge, lucrurile se termina în păsări, păsările în animale, animalele suferă de boli necunoscute, de sexualitate delirantă, de lene, de foame, de nebunie... Viziunilor expresioniste daliniene le corespund coşmarurile noastre, coşmaruri cu animale rebegite, cu ziduri crăpate, cu ceasuri umide, cu femei-fluturi, cu boli necunoscute, cu ticăloşii amare, cu trădări şi cu împăcări, coşmaruri ale existenţei, vise uluitor de familiare, poate, sau poate că ne uimesc prin ineditul asemănării...

Spune Rodenbach: "ce putere de neînţeles exercită asupra noastră asemănarea!...Instinctiv există în noi înscrisă chemarea noului. Ne plictisim de bine. Ne bucurăm şi de sănătate şi de fericire numai prin contrast. Tot astfel, dragostea trăieşte mereu numai din întîmplările ei rupte. Iar asemănarea este punctul în care se întîlnesc şi se împacă cele două tendinţe contradictorii ale firii noastre", noul şi vechiul, nocturnul şi diurnul, aş spune eu. Două tendinţe care fac posibilă asemănarea noastră cu aceste coşmaruri ale lui Dali, care plac nu pentru că aparţin unui geniu, ci pentru că ele sunt NOI, în clipele noastre mohorîte ori sublime... 

Una din multele variante ale Femeii cu sertare surîde Îngerului Morţii,  "tăcere şi linşte pînă în adîncul timpului"(Rodenbach).

Privit din faţă, e un Înger mai trist, cu o gaură în loc de inimă, desigur, cu frumosele aripi abia mijite, cu mîinile încordate a biruinţă sau, poate că e un Înger abia trezit din somnul lui de moarte. Privit din profil, aproape din spate, din capul triunghiular ies două coarne neliniştitoare. Demonul se trezeşte sau el abia adoarme?

E greu să vorbeşti despre Bruges fără speranţa că cei care te ascultă vor fi citit Rodenbach, Bruges, la Morte (Bruges, a doua moarte)... Dar poate că, totuşi, va fi cineva care a citit şi atunci va inţelege că în cartea lui Rodenbach nu e, de fapt, vorba decit de o mare iubire, care lasă frumoasa senzaţie că TREBUIE să vezi neapărat oraşul, locul care o generează... Autorul spune, în prefaţă, că e vorba despre un oraş, despre Bruges, dar, de fapt, e altceva.  E vorba de o atmosferă, de un miracol produs de iubire. Oraşul e martorul mut şi, uneori, ambiguu. Miracolul e, însă, al iubirii, al iubirii absente, mai precis.

Oricum, una din dorinţele mele cele mai puternice, din tinereţe, cind "morţi" diverse mă cutreierau, a fost sa vad Bruges! Aşa cum, de pildă, unii doresc să vadă un ocean anume sau Piramidele, dorinţa mea era să vad Bruges...

Se spune că ar fi o a doua Veneţie, Veneţia Nordului. Se spun multe, dar eu nu am prejudecăţi şi nici la Veneţia încă nu am fost. La Bruges insă am fost acum cîteva zile. Şi, cu siguranţă, aş dori să revin, dar poate că într-o iarnă, cind canalele vor fi îngheţate şi cînd toate prăvăliile vor fi închise. Atunci poate că voi regăsi IMAGINEA MEA INTERIOARĂ despre Bruges! Deocamdată, e un oraş fermecător, ca o Carte postală colorată, poate prea colorată, pe care te gîndeşti să nu o trimiţi cunoscuţilor, fiind deplasat de vie, de frumoasă! Sau, cine ştie, o trimiţi bolnavilor la suflet, să le aline suferinţa, sau incurabililor romantici, să-i faci să viseze.

Nimic din decrepitudinea acelui oraş-stare descris de Rodenbach nu am aflat, poate doar rostirea apei, la trecerea ei pe canale... foşnetul frunzelor care sărută apa, opace la zgomotul vaporaşelor pline cu turişti, opace la acest Bruges în lentă schimbare...

Atunci nu-ţi mai rămîne decît să te adînceşti în tine şi să recreezi Bruges, să-l scoţi de acolo, din inima Belgiei, să-l recompui în tine, să-l revezi, poate iarna, cind canalele sunt ingheţate, cînd copacii sunt dezgoliţi, cînd iubirile mor...

Bruges, la Morte...

yeah!!!

hope that it's easy to read.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/1000 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

Non possedendo ne mappe ne guide turistiche (il nostro è turismo più che improvvisato), all'uscita dalla stazione è l'imponente torre della Church of Our Lady a illuminarci riguardo la direzione da seguire.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/125 sec, F/9, ISO 100

Interno. Chiesa di Nostra Signora, che custodisce la "Madonna con bambino" di Michelangelo.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/250 sec, F/5.6, ISO 800

L'organo a canne e la parte superiore della navata principale.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/15 sec, F/5.6, ISO 800

Di nuovo all'aperto. Seguendo il flusso di persone, e alzando lo sguardo, si capisce facilmente dove è diretto: la torre civica, che domina Market Square.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/400 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

La splendida Market Square, vociante, vissuta. Una sorta di policromatica Piazza del Campo. Cuore pulsante della città.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/320 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

La sosta è d'obbligo. Quella panchina sulla sinistra è per metà libera, e ce ne impossessiamo per mezz'ora.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/250 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

Numerosissimi i turisti e gli studenti seduti a terra. Si fotografano a vicenda, e io fotografo loro.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/400 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

Lasciamo Market Place procedendo in direzione est. La somiglianza con Venezia ora si fa decisamente accentuata, il dedalo di canali, la rete di ponti che li attraversano, l'aria quasi salmastra (il mare del Nord è oggi a una decina di chilometri, a causa del lento e inesorabile avanzamento della costa).

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/800 sec, F/5.0, ISO 100

Costeggiando interminabili canali.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/500 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

Mulini a vento. Ne rimangono quattro, a guardia del lunghissimo parco che sorge all'estremità est del centro abitato.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/800 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

Sedersi alla base del mulino e godersi, nel silenzio, la vista della città.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/500 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

Ci riavviciniamo al centro, percorrendo una via parallela alla precedente. Il pavé copre ogni centimetro di superficie di ogni via cittadina.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/200 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

Turisti assiepati all'interno di sgraziati barconi solcano i placidi canali. Venezia, con le sue gondole, qui vince agevolmente il confronto.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/200 sec, F/6.3, ISO 100

Minnewater. Parco nella zona sud della città, presso il "bèguinage". Luogo fatato.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/200 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

Ritorno, la stazione. Un edificio ordinario, dopo ore di sospensione dall'ordinario. Come se il mondo esterno avesse scelto di porre qui la propria avanguardia.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/3200 sec, F/2.8, ISO 100

Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes

Produced by Blueprint Pictures, Film4, Focus Features and Scion Films

Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh

I saw the trailer for In Bruges before Teeth and thought to myself, "It's about fucking time Colin Farrell do a comedy!" I was excited, but unfortunately missed its theatrical debut. Lucky for me, In Bruges came out on DVD yesterday so I went out and bought it. I've got to say, even though it's a good movie overall, I would never in a million years call this a dark comedy. It's just dark, period.

Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are two hit men who are sent to Bruges, Belgium to take care of business and relax a bit. Ray hates it, Ken gushes about it. While there, Ray mucks up his mission and realizes how precious life really is. There's also a hot girl involved (I don't think Farrell would ever do a movie that didn't have some righteous babe in it), so he's ultimately distracted and loses sight of what he's supposed to be doing. After word gets out of the failed mission, their boss (Ralph "Call Me RAFE" Fiennes) goes after them and all hell breaks loose.

Farrell was hands down brilliant in this film. Most of the roles we see him play are dark, dramatic roles or some full-fledged badass, but this role is unlike anything I've ever seen him play. He's genuinely funny. His character is extremely neurotic and a whiny ass bitch, and it's wonderful. Coming from anyone else, I think it would've just got irritating, but the fact that he's this rugged hunk of a man makes it really work. Brendan Gleeson, who is incredible in absolutely everything he does, doesn't let us down in this film, either. You feel for this guy. He's got a heart of gold...despite killing people for a living. And, as usual, Ralph Fiennes is batshit crazy. He's good at that though (see: Red Dragon). Most of these guys have acted together once or twice before, so the chemistry between them is super. It's really great acting and I'm impressed.

Now, as for the storyline, it's pretty creative as well. Bruges, which I didn't even know how to say properly until yesterday, is a BEAUTIFUL podunk town, so the fact the story takes place here makes it unlike any gangster movie I've seen. Oddly enough, you end up attached to the characters even though they're totally brutal human beings. There's this sense of humanity in them that's just overwhelming at times.

So this is what I don't like about the film: the "comedy" aspect of it and the joke content. Now, when you see the trailer for this film, it's definitely marketed as a high-speed thrill ride/laugh-fest. However, that's not really the case. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some FANTASTIC laughs in this flick, but it's just not nearly as funny as it was intended to be. I love dark comedies, but like I said, this movie is just dark, period. I'm also a fan of being as politically incorrect as possible. I really think people are hypersensitive to everything these days, so this film was definitely refreshing. I warn you, though, that a lot of the jokes are just offensive and not very funny. The film manages to make fun of everyone though (i.e. Blacks, Whites, fatties, Americans, Vietnamese, smokers/anti-smokers, mentally challenged, little people, skinheads and Candians). Big list. I also found that the two jokes I laughed the hardest at were American jokes. "THIS IS FOR JOHN LENNON, YOU YANKEE CUNT!" *POW* Truly classic. The film also kids a couple of kids and has some pretty graphic drug use scenes, so if you have kids, deadbolt the shit out of whatever room you're watching this in. You might want to give them headphones too, being that they use various forms of "fuck" and the dreaded "C" word (which I personally love).

I couldn't help but think of Hot Fuzz while watching this movie. The town of Bruges really sort of looks like the town Hot Fuzz took place in, except I think Bruges is more scenic. Also, I think this movie was trying to be sort of like Hot Fuzz, only it wasn't. At all. It definitely had the potential to be similar to it, but instead of doing a hilarious final blowout like in Fuzz, In Bruges just got super serious.

There are some beautiful shots, wonderful writing and fantastic acting, so I definitely think this movie is worth seeing. If you're looking for something that'll make you laugh every five seconds, this isn't for you.

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/60 sec, F/9, ISO 100

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/60 sec, F/2.8, ISO 100

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/10 sec, F/4, ISO 400

Canon 400D, Tamron 17/50 F/2.8, 1/125 sec, F/11, ISO 100

• Start putting clothes aside that you want to pack a few days or even a week in advance. I've started doing this after each load of laundry when I have an upcoming trip. Now, instead of spending an hour or more the night before the trip trying to figure out what I want to pack, it takes me about 20 minutes to make sure I have everything, add last minute items, and throw it all in a suitcase.

 

• Make a list of all the toiletries that you typically take with you (contact lense case, prescription drugs, hair brush, etc.). Refer to the list as you're packing and it will go a lot faster (and you won't forget anything!). Better yet, keep duplicates of the items in a travel case that you never unpack. I do this for some inexpensive items like toothpaste and shampoo; my husband keeps all our electronics (chargers, batteries, connectors, etc.) organized in baggies inside a carry-on that we always take with us.

 

• If you have house or pet sitters that don't have their own key, use a coded key safe like realtors use. The sitter can let themselves in (don't forget to give them the code, of course!), and you don't have to worry about getting the key to the sitter before the trip.

 

• If you're like me, the admirable desire to leave a clean house behind was engrained in you as a child (just like the admonition to always wear clean underwear). Well, I say "Fuhgeddaboudit!" I used to spend hours the week before a trip making the house perfect. Now I just clean the rooms that the pet sitter will use, and leave the rest as is if I don't have time. (I still make sure I have clean underwear, but that's a lot less time-consuming!)

 

• Get your boarding pass on the airline's website the day before you leave. Not only does this save time at the airport (although you'll still have to check your luggage at the counter), it may result in a better seat. Southwest Airlines, for example, issues boarding passes that indicate your place in the boarding line. Since you can pick your own seat on Southwest, the closer you are to the front of the line, the better chance you have of getting a desirable bulkhead, exit row or aisle seat.

 

• Speaking of flying, you can save time by booking a non-stop flight. It sounds obvious, but since non-stop flights typically cost more, it's an option you may overlook. Consider that I just did a search for flights from LAX to New York and the non-stop option was only $29 more and arrived an hour and a half sooner than the next closest fare with one stop. The question is, how much is your time worth?

 

• Save time on your trip by pre-booking as much as possible before the trip - car rentals, tours, hotels (if you'll be staying in more than one place), etc. Although this can still take quite of a bit of time up front, it keeps you from spending your vacation time  standing in lines or on the phone trying to make arrangements. When we traveled to Europe in 2002, I booked all but one hotel online. Back then, it was probably harder to make email reservations than it is today. Although this required us to decide in advance how long we would spend in each location, we left some flexibility in at the beginning of the trip, which allowed us to make wonderful diversions to Brugge and Amsterdam.

What time-saving travel tips do you have?

Canon 400D, Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, 1/400 sec, F/4, ISO 100