I don’t think there was a more opportune time or place to see a film than Elise, her friends and I seeing The Monuments Men in the Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam.

As a film, it definitely has a few issues with pacing and tone, but is still interesting and charismatic enough to make it worth a watch.

However if timing is everything, then we just happened to see it after having been to Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent, Koln and Frankfurt, places mentioned in the film and we’re going to Paris later this week.

What was particularly opportune, was that whilst in Bruges, we made the effort to see Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, which was featured heavily in the film, inside the Church of Our Lady which was largely under repair.

I do remember thinking, when standing there looking at it, there had to be a more elaborate history to it, as whilst the craftsmanship was definitely beautiful, I wasn’t sure what separated it from the other sculptures we’ve seen throughout Europe.

As it turns out, it’s the only Michelangelo outside of Italy and was captured by both Napoleon and Hitler, and has made it through, in tact.

That’s not a bad rap for a piece of art.