Montréalités Arts

Poster for The Prestige.

Image via Wikipedia

The Prestige is a film adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel of the same title. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film winds its way through mystery, romance, double lives, and magic. The two principal characters are Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). These two men begin the film as apprentices of a magician, but an accident and finger pointing drives them to a life-long rivalry: sabotaging shows and stealing secrets. As physical injuries mount, lives end, and magic tricks become more daring and fantastic, the movie's climax twists everything we thought we knew, into something else entirely. The films mixture of a Victorian atmosphere, mystery, glamor, science fiction, and betrayal, unfortunately, also mix with Hollywood's poor examples of morality. However, the technical skill displayed in this movie's script astounded and intrigued me. The cover warned me that I'd want to watch it again. I did.

By: Skittles

A friend of mine sometimes jokes that the slogan for Montreal should really be, "this is why we can't have nice things." Even if you ignore the terrifying state of our roadways, Montreal is still not in very good shape. Every inch of blank space is painted, etched, or carved with illegible scribbles more commonly called tags. Graffiti is not a new phenomenon by any stretch - there are examples of it dating back to Rome and Ancient Greece. In more recent history, graffiti has gripped urban spaces for decades.

By: Skittles

Montreal is known for its many festivals. Some of the bigger ones that come to mind are the Jazz Fest or Just for Laughs, but did you know that Montreal plays host to the longest-running graffiti festival in Canada? This Past summer, the 16th annual Under Pressure Graffiti Festival took place on Saint Catherine Street between Saint Laurent and Berri Streets. The festival is open to the general public and draws artists and spectators from all over the world, but what is it all about? It's a showcase of Graffiti, Hip Hop and Skateboarding culture.

By Skittles

Graffiti has become a hot topic recently with municipalities starting to propose and pass legislation that aims to put an end to the art form. The four-story mural that stands across the street from my apartment is a vivid reminder of the impact graffiti has on our culture. I decided to speak with my friend Joe Garque about his role in Under Pressure, Montreal's International Graffiti Festival and about the impact anti-graffiti legislation will have on graffiti culture.

A Cultural Landmark, (Or the Mechanics Behind the FIFA)

 In 2004, Bernie Gurberg decided to open a theatre aimed at creating an inexpensive movie-going experience for the whole family. The Dollar Cinema, located in Côte-des-Neiges, offers just this; admission per person is just $2 and snacks are priced at only a dollar apiece. The films are "second-runs," meaning films which have left other theatres, such as the AMC, which specialize in new releases, or, first-run films.

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A Francophone city par excellence in an essentially English-speaking country, Montréal surprises through its uniqueness, which is best reflected in the city's artistic and cultural landscape.

For more than two centuries, these two communities - the Anglophones and the Francophones - have asserted their domination in turns depending on the position each held in the economic, social and political life of the city at a given time. Although their coexistence was not always peaceful, these two ethnic groups with opposite life styles and outlooks have each contributed inits own way to shaping the face of the city.

Rivals and allies at the same time, they transformed their city together, turning it into a place that stands out through its cultural and artistic background as no other city does. 

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Image source: Flickr, 2007.

The largest art museum in Montreal goes unnoticed by most. In total it is 70 kilometers long and covers a large part of the city with many exhibits by noted Quebec artists and architects. Each of its 68 "rooms" has its unique style and flavour.

The Montreal Metro system, which is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal, opened on October 14, 1966 and while it is not a museum in the conventional sense of the word, the works of art it houses number in the hundreds. There are sculptures, murals, mosaics, stained glass and architectural elements- while some stations are the work art. Though most art is from newer periods, think modern or pop art, certain pieces have classical inspirations.