In Bruges
by Writer-director Martin McDonagh has a talent for snappy dialogue which makes this crime-drama surprisingly funny. He has previously written for theatre, and it is obvious from the intelligently constructed dialogue. Theatre does not often translate well to film, but In Bruges is violent, suspenseful and hilarious throughout. Shot in the picturesque medieval city of Bruges in Belgium, this drama features two hitmen discussing life and death after a recent job went awry. Too many times, supporting characters are one-dimensional, but these characters have their own storylines and come across as fully rounded in an economy of words. The storyline then snakes through many twists towards an unexpected but neat and gory ending. There are brilliant performances from leads Collin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, and the dwarf is also very funny. But dwarves are always funny.
- 6
- 3
Also by XAVIER TOBY
Valentino: The Last Emperor — Fashion documentary
A documentary about one of the world’s most famous fashion designers? Hmm. Not a film I’d ever choose to see, but sometimes we do what we don’t want to in order to make friends happy. It’s called compromise apparently, and the experience reminded me that any material, if well structured and presented, can make a decent film. The filmmakers follow the over-tanned Valentino Garavani and his long-term lover and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti. Read more
Larry David plays a slight variation on his Curb Your Enthusiasm incarnation, spouting some of the most articulate rants on humanity in Woody Allen’s new comedy. I enjoyed last year’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but this is definitely better. It’s a spectacularly executed comedy farce, with the action constantly escalating along the way, adhering to the old comedy formula of putting the characters through hell for big laughs. Read more
Black Dynamite blaxploitation movie trailer
One very angry and unstoppable man wages war against drugs and malt liquor. A take-off of the old blaxploitation films, this is parody at its best, with many knowing nods to camera and hilarious moments involving clichés taken to their extremes. There’s the Asian kung-fu master, pimps and orphans hooked on heroin. It all begins with Black Dynamite being spurned on his quest for blood after his brother’s brutal murder, and then pushed further for the love of a good woman. There are hoes and guns, along with catchphrases and great one-liners. See it.
YOU'RE SAYING (3)
Melissa Kojima - Artist in LA LA Land said | 27 June, 2008
Did anyone notice the opening credit? I mean I love them. Does anyone know who did them? Yeah, hilarious film.
Barry W Hughes said | 3 July, 2008
In Bruges is a fantastic film, which captures the Irish attitude and wit perfectly thanks to a brilliant script and acting. McDonagh is known for his razor sharp wit combined with dark subject matter, and I have to say its rare to see the two married so well in one film. The language is spot on, and anyone who lives in Dublin will certainly agree with me on that!
HAVE YOUR SAY
Entrepreneurial 26-year-olds, Diana Hardeman, Pavla Mikula, and Michelle Truong have created a side business (they all have fulltime jobs!) of subscription service icecream delivery. For ten dollars, you can select from five seasonal homemade flavors hand delivered directly to your door. Sign me up!
Dubbed as a ‘lifestyle project’ drawing influences from Californian street culture, the store recently opened by LA-based The Hundreds in San Francisco has, hands down, the coolest fit-out I’ve ever seen. Read more
As if this season’s dresses weren’t delightful enough, here’s another reason to liquidate some stock and ruin your credit rating. First Prada and James Jean, now the top end retailer, Nordstrom: the exploration of art by fashion is long overdue, but well worth the wait. The Nordstrom campaign brings together three great things: the Cuban illustrator Ruben Toledo, the fashion photographer Ruven Afanador and the elvin Jenny Sweeny. Just looking at it makes me want to wrap myself in Cavalli and paint my walls bone shell white.
Ok, a confession. And one made with the full weight of its implications bearing down on me like a load of feathers. Extra soft ones of course (well, it is my confession). When I see bands play – and I mean good bands; bands with rhythm – my right leg gyrates like a stunned jellyfish. Read more
On a recent trip to San Francisco, I was lucky enough to meet with John Trippe, the main man behind the popular arts based site, Fecal Face. Read more
History is the story of the winners, and western dominated culture recounts few triumphs from the east. Mongol is an effort to correct this balance, and the eastern influence is evident in much more than just the storyline. It is more like a fairy tale or legend handed down through generations, than based on fact, with mythical elements playing a major part, and the character’s motivations remaining simple. Read more
Have you ever felt engulfed by a strange mix of emotions, ones which make you feel all giddy? Well, that’s what this track — Not For All The Love In the World — does to me. French pop-folk extraordinaire Sebastian Tellier remixes Irish pop band The Thrills. Totally luscious and dreamy, especially the glockenspiel sound. Beautiful stuff.
WE'RE RESPECTING
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Good thing Kris Kuksi channelled the trauma of growing up with an alcoholic stepfather, his disdain for ‘the typical American life and pop culture’, and his fascination with the macabre into obsessive, baroque assemblages, paintings, and drawings. Read more
I live the upbeat, feel good tempo of the new single — A Hundred Hearts — from Philly group, The Swimmers. Off their latest album, People Are Soft, this song is a strangely fitting anthem for the blustery day outside.
Trip out with Sparrow Vs Sparrow’s retro illustrations, I love their aesthetic, color use and sense of humor. Read more
Wheeeeee! This game is so freaking fun! You move your cursor over each dot to make them split into four smaller dots ad infinitum.
With the recession still biting, it may be time to whip out the glue and the cardboard and make your next pair of cool kicks. Don’t know how they’d manage in the rain though? Read more
Thanks to Sony Australia, four Lost At E Minor readers will win personal audio prizes, including the new 8GB Walkman S series video MP3 player and the MDRXB500 Extra Bass headphones. Read more
From an artist selection of t-shirts comes this limited edition David Bray illustrated silkscreened tee, distributed in a vinyl sleeve with a biography of the artist on the back of the sleeve. Every t-shirt is numbered and signed by the artist, and comes in organic American Apparel cotton. We like! Read more
FOLLOW US
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it’s not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
Jamie said | 26 June, 2008
I highly recommend this movie. It was incredibly funny, clever, interesting, thoughtful and did I say funny as hell?