Ahoy, squirts! Quint here, with a report sent in by "Josef K" who stumbled upon Adrien Brody and the film crew of THE BROTHERS BLOOM while vacationing in the lovely city of Prague. I've talked a little about this flick on the site. I'm a big fan of Rian Johnson's script and an even bigger fan of his first outing as a director, last year's BRICK. There are whispers that I might make it onset before they wrap and if I do, I'll be sure to fill you in on my adventures. Below you'll get some photos and a report on what Josef K saw, including our first look at Brody in costume. The Prague sequence is actually a pretty compelling part of the movie, so I won't spoil much, but I will say that there is a con going on (maybe more than one in this sequence) involving a break-in and even a little bang.
Hi Quint, I've just returned from a few days holiday in Prague, during which time I managed to stumble upon location filming for Rian Johnson's Brick follow-up, currently entitled The Brothers Bloom (alternate title: Penelope). I loved Brick but still know precious little about The Brothers Bloom. What I have known for sure since seeing Brick was that I was very much looking forward to Rian's next project. Therefore, it was a totally unexpected delight to run across the man himself, plus cast and crew, in the Czech capital. (Incidentally, if you've never been to Prague: lovely people, amazing culture and history, home of Kafka, Dvořák, Miloš Forman, world-class beer, go!) OK, to my report... The two Prague locations and dates that I can confirm for filming were: Prague Castle (14th April) and Old Town Square (15th April). Following are merely my observations of some scenes concerning what I now know to be the 'Prague con' section of the movie - spoiler-free, folks, because unlike Quint, the lucky old sea dog, I haven't read the script. That said, for those who don't already know, the film's essentially a globetrotting con-man flick, referencing such previous classics as The Sting, House of Games and even Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. 1) Prague Castle. As I approach the main entrance to the castle, I'm a little taken aback to see a large crowd of people in period costumes running through the courtyard and out of the gates. From a distance, it appears to be some kind of historical re-enactment, but it quickly becomes apparent that there is also a film crew present. When I spot Adrien Brody and Rian Johnson, it all falls into place. I'm immediately struck by Brody's costume: it seems to be early 20th century, and a quick glance at some of the extras would appear to verify that this is indeed a period film. Oddly, though, there are a few extras that are clearly in modern dress, and the uniforms of the security guards in this sequence seem late 20th century. What's going on? Rian Johnson offered a clue in an online interview with Chud.com: "It’s not period but it’s very much its own world, if that makes any sense."
The next set-up involves a dolly track with a quick push in towards the castle gates as the extras continue to flee the castle and Brody comes running in from the opposite direction, jumping up onto the gates moments after they have been closed by security guards. He looks through the gates in desperation for some seconds. Whatever or whomever is meant to be in the reverse angle is not, however, apparent.
2) Old Town Square. Less to report here, unfortunately. I observed a couple of set-ups, one very early morning, the other mid-afternoon. The first took place pretty much opposite the Astronomical Clock, with Brody and (I believe) Rinko Kikuchi walking past some of the facades in the square. The second set-up took place at or inside a doorway further along the street, unfortunately more or less out of sight.
Alas, Rachel Weisz was nowhere to be seen, quite possibly because the 'Prague con' does not concern her character (Penelope). The absence of la Weisz notwithstanding, this was all very intriguing. I'll let Quint fill out the article with any tidbits he cares to add which might offer some more context. Call me 'Josef K.'
If you've never seen the Astrological Clock in Prague, here's a snap of it I took in my travels last year:
The cast is a strong one and Johnson just recently added Maximilian Schell (BLACK HOLE) and Robbie Coltrane (KRULL... and Hagrid, too) to the list. Hope you enjoyed the quick peek into the production. Hopefully, I'll be able to give you more in the near future.
