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X-men: Days of Future Past

Old Professor Xavier and old Magneto send Wolverine back in time with the help of Shadowcat to save the world by asking for help from young Xavier and young Magneto and the rest of the X-men!! Oh,my God! I couldn’t wait for it either! I was so excited when I went to see the movie and it’s definitely one of those that I would watch again and again. Here are a few reasons why:  the story is based on “Days of future past” in the Uncanny X-men storyline published in 1981, and although the story has been obviously altered to fit the screen better (I am still to read that comic), it looks as if it’s done a great job! The story seemed well integrated in the roughly two hours screen time, having no time to let you get bored or lose the storyline.  The scenes and the locations are perfectly chosen to resemble both the past and the future resembling the comics.  Seeing that both the new and old cast joined the expectations were much higher of this movie, even higher than First Class, which was also a good movie, but I consider Days of Future Past to have exceeded it.  Another thing which caught my ear, literally, was the soundtrack. While the special effects of mainly Mistique’s powers or Magneto’s powers were eye candy, the soundtrack was simply honey for the heart. I would listen to it for hours on end. It blended fantastically well with the action and it certainly contributes to giving goosebumps to the viewers. Overall it was a delight to watch X-men: Days of Future Past, where Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and the rest of the cast and crew make you relive your childhood.  

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I don’t generally affirm that the book is always better than the movie, as I think they are two different media, but in this particular case, Nick Hornby’s ‘A long way down’, I felt the movie didn’t do much justice, actually almost none to the actual book. I loved the whole idea of the story from watching the trailer and I bought the book the next day, and watched the movie a few days after. I will focus on the book, however, as I believe it’s one of the best I’ve read so far. Thrilling, funny, and with a not so common structure, it doesn’t have chapters, but each character’s point of view, which I think is wonderful because it offers a wider view, with each personality being revealed more and more through their own thoughts. The story of four suicidal people meeting accidentally on the roof of Topper’s House in London, on New Year’s Eve, later to become friends and overcome their problems together. The characters’ evolution is particularly interesting, because the only aspect that changes within them is the realisation that they are somewhere in between, they haven’t killed themselves yet, but they aren’t normal happy people either. The interaction between them is comical and the dialogues are presented in an active manner, making you wish to read more, but make it never end as well. A wonderful story about the most unlikely group of people come together and how they help each other to grow. Brilliantly written and a great read. I recommend it to everyone who loves comedy, a bit dark sometimes, or who loves Nick Hornby’s other works; I will definitely read some more of his.

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The Grand Budapest Hotel Considering we are also fond of travelling, hotels should be included in our plans as well, however the hotel I will be talking about now is a rather special one called: The Grand Budapest Hotel. Not many European hotels can praise themselves with the richness of this fictional hotel’s story, but ‘The Authour’, portrayed by Jude Law, is told the story by the hotel owner, Mr. Moustafa. It all revolves around the hotel’s concierge at the time, Mr. Gustave H., very acclaimed in his role and very respected. However this particular character has been framed for the murder of a valuable client, Madame D. (Tilda Swinton), and thus the story carries its unusual turnover in a dark comedy style, with fantastic cinematography and brilliant camera work. The interaction between the characters is presented satirically, with stereotypes of people in every frame. The storyline focuses nicely on Gustave H. and how his charm and interaction with people is used to his own advantage. The Grand Budapest Hotel is definitely one of Wes Anderson’s best works, an eye-candy with a fantastic cast and certainly a film to capture your attention all the way through.

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Bourgeois Louise - Here I Am, Here I Stay

Encased within a glass casket, a pair of truncated human feet are firmly placed on a roughly hewn block of marble. Perhaps alluding to the triumphant order man has created out of the disordered chaos of nature, the elemental qualities of the material-marble, glass, metal- evoke the timeless world articulated by human endeavour. Great attention has been paid to the sensual surfaces, ranging from the roughness of the stone hewn from the earth to the smoothness of the man-made glass. The original in displayed in Galerie Karsten Greve, Cologne.

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We now have another, more revealing (but not too much) trailer for X-men: Days of the future past! I think it looks absolutely amazing and if you grew up watching these guys on TV or read the comics you will want to watch this one! As a plus it's got Michael Fassbender in it, who gave an amazing performance in the Oscar winning 12 Years a Slave! 

In Cinemas May 23rd!!

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Bourdelle Antoine- Herakles

Power, strengh and tightly coiled energy seen about to burst forth from the impressive form of Herakles. The sculptor has used muscular shapes and bold, expressive features to create a sense of vitality. The tension is clearly shown in the bowstring, which is being pulled back by a huge, powerful hand. Further tension is created by the archer's leg which, with its tendons, strains against a boulder. The original is held in collection by Musée Bourdelle , Paris.

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Boudin Eugene- The Beach at Trouville

A crowd of formally dressed Parisians is seen basking in the sun at the fashionable seaside resort of Trouville on the Normandy coast. Boudin came to be known as 'the painter of beaches' and frequently travelled to this particular beach throughout his career. An exceptionally gifted observer and recorder of nature, he was able to capture the characteristics gestures of people. The original can be admired in Musée d'Orsay (officiel), Paris.

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Botticelli Sandro - Spring

The diaphanous gowns of the Three Graces, the elegant hands of Venus and the flowered dress worn by Flora combine to make this one of the most beautiful painting of the Italian Renaissance. The painting reflects the fine draughtsmanship that was fundamental to Florentine art at that time, and Botticelli's graceful line creates a sensitive, almost feminine atmosphere. The original is held in collection by Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. 

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Botero Fernando- Our Lady of Cajica

The universal image of the Madonna is portrayed here as an inflated, round figure in Botero's unique style. He has created a sense of the Madonna's monumental hugeness by contrating her with tiny figures that peep out of the clouds behind- a device frequently employed by the artist. In addition, the snake at the bottom of the picture has been made unnaturally long, in order to emphasized her largeness. The original si held in private collection.

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Benoit Masson

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Bosch Hieronymus - The Tribulations of St Anthony

Bosch's paintings revolve around scenes from life of Christ, or a saint confronted by evil and temptation, or allegories or proverbs about the folly of human beings. Bosch's work seems strangely modern: four hundred years later, his influence emerged in the Expressionist movement, and still later in Surrealism. The original is held in collection by the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon.

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Bordone Paris- Presentation of the Ring of Doge of Venice

A fisherman who had been rescued by St. Mark is giving the saint's ring to the Doge of Venice. The artist has depicted the figures in contemporary dress, even though the incident is said to have happened hundreds of years earlier. Portraits of prominent Venetians, including the Doge of the time, were used as models. The original is held in collection in Galleria dell'Accademia ,

Venice.

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Bonnard Pierre - The Open Window

Bonnard succesfully coveys the atmosphere of the heat and tranquility of the South of France by using warm and bright tones of colour. Known particularly for his intimate domestic material, Bonnard was a member of the group know as Les Nabis whose aim was to simplify the outline and colour of their paintings. The original is held in 

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Bonington Richard Parkes - Rouen from the Quais

The steeple of the great Rouen Cathedral and the tall masts of the boats create strong verticals in this picture. Watercolor is a lively, immediate medium, which has allowed the artist to capture the activity of the busy quays. Bonington's watercoolour style is characterized by a small range of colours applied to highly textured paper. The original is held in British Museum, London.

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Happy International Women's Day ! Pierre Auguste Renoir- Two Sisters (On the Terrace)

Painted in 1881.  Renoir worked on the painting on the terrace of the Maison Fournaise, a restaurant located on an island in the Seine in Chatou, the western suburb of Paris. The painting depicts a young woman and her younger sister seated outdoors with a small basket containing balls of wool. Over the railings of the terrace one can see shrubbery and foliage with the River Seine behind it.The original is held in the Art Institute of Chicago.

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Bomberg David - The Mud Bath

At first, this might seen to be a completely abstract picture. In fact, it shows a vapour bath, used by the Jewish community of Whitechapel in London. Blue and white figures jostle and leap around the bath's red rectangle shape, throwing themselves around the central dark pillar. The painter was a founder member of the London Group, an exhibiting society formed in 1913. The original is held in Tate Gallery, London.

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Boltanski Christian - Reserve of Dead Swiss

This large-scale installation consists of two walls of metal biscuit boxes and a series of black-and-white photographs taken from obituaries in a local newspaper, poorly illuminated by clamp-on electric lamps. Powerful sensations of life and death are evoked by this shrine to the memory of death, with its almost religious atmosphere of perpetual stillness and peace. The original is displayed in

Marian Goodman Gallery, New York.