It’s good to be back in Brussels. Such a great city for cinema, art, and beer.

Skipping breakfast, I headed out this Saturday morning to see the James Ensor – Inspired by Brussels exhibition at the 18^th century Palace of Charles of Lorraine. The palace is a fabulous opulent setting which would have been worth the price of entry just to marvel at the lavish interiors even if there hadn’t been an art exhibition also going on.

I got to the venue just after the exhibition opening time of 10am in order to avoid crowds later in the day. There were only a few other visitors this early and I had most of the splendid rooms in the palace to myself as I viewed this superb exhibition of James Ensor, one of Belgium’s greatest artists.

The paintings which stood out for me were ‘The Lamplighter’ (1880), with its simple but striking composition and subdued palette; the rich, dark colours and wonderful atmosphere of ‘Interior at the Rousseaus’ (1884); and the hilarious surrealism of ‘Skeletons Fighting over a Pickled Herring’ (1891), a small panel painting which almost made me laugh out loud. Great stuff.

After seeing the exhibition I walked down the hill, past Grand Place and on to the Galerie du Centre on Rue des Fripiers, within which Cinéma Aventure is located. Galerie du Centre is a very low key arcade, a welcome refuge from the tourist-thronged streets nearby.

Aventure is one of my favourite Brussels cinemas. It’s got a cosy intimate feel and eclectic programming which means there’s always something interesting to watch here.

Today’s film was ‘Joan Baez: I Am a Noise’. It was showing in Screen 2, which was accessible along a very dark corridor. In the auditorium, warm brown wooden rafters curve up above the screen.

There were around a dozen people in the audience for what turned out to be a captivating and intimate documentary film about Joan Baez as she travelled on her farewell tour and reflected on her life.

There is nothing nostalgic or complacent about this film – it celebrates Joan Baez’s career and there is plenty concert footage where we hear her amazingly beautiful voice, but the film also includes her talking about some disturbing memories of her family life when she was growing up. The film covers her participation in the civil rights movement, protests against the Vietnam war, and her brief but intense relationship with a young, fresh-faced Bob Dylan.

After ‘Joan Baez: I Am a Noise’ finished, this being Brussels, I had to have some great beer – Watou Tripel and Waterloo Triple Blond. Can’t beat a good Belgian triple.

Related Post: ‘Greetings from Tim Buckley’, Café 16cc Amsterdam

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Tucked away on Rue Keyenveld in the Ixelles area of Brussels, off the beaten track for tourists, and neighbouring the house where Audrey Hepburn was born, Les Brassins restaurant was a good choice for lunch this sunny mid-February Saturday.

We lingered in Les Brassins for over three hours, enjoying the hearty unpretentious food and superb Belgian beers.

The Bertinchamps Triple beer that I had was a perfect accompaniment to the rabbit in cherry beer sauce. The vintage posters adorning the walls add to the charm of this excellent restaurant.

After the meal we wandered down towards Grand Place, the gold glitter glowing on the buildings surrounding the square.

In search of a good bar in which to imbibe more Belgian beer, we made our way to La Bécasse on Rue de Tabora, a cosy establishment which feels like it could be centuries old.

It was busy when we got there but our timing was lucky and one table became available just as we came in.

It’s the kind of bar where you could happily stay for hours once you are ensconced, but we had tickets for the 9.45pm showing of ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ at Cinema Vendôme, so it was just a couple of beers at La Bécasse before walking back up to Porte de Namur.

If I lived in Brussels, I would be a regular at Cinema Vendôme. It’s got interesting programming, welcoming staff, comfortable auditoriums, and a clientele that appreciates good cinema.

‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ was on in Screen 4. The title of this film made me a bit sceptical – the self-pitying plea implying that yes we should forgive the protagonist – but the film came highly recommended and Richard E. Grant is always worth watching.

Melissa McCarthy gives a great performance as the cantankerous Lee Israel, frustrated author, scowling misanthrope, and forger of celebrity letters. The chemistry between her and Richard E. Grant gives the film a jauntiness that contrasts with the bleakness of their worn-down existences.  

A melancholy yet warm mood pervades the film.

The soundtrack is perfect, which was a relief after the disappointment of the soundtrack in ‘Stan & Ollie’ which I saw recently.

The script is sharp and dryly funny.

Let’s hope that ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ is not the last time that Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant work together – the screen time they share is really something special.

Related Post: ‘Pain and Glory’, Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA)

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