Hollywood 1927. George Valentin is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career. For extra Peppy Miller, major movie stardom awaits. THE ARTIST tells the story of their interlinked destinies.
Truly, they don't make them like they used.
They evoke, and they adapt - the war films of recent decades have been increasingly impressive, and period dramas readily make beautiful the days of centuries gone by - but rarely does a film come along that is really made like they used to.
Then along came The Artist.
The film tells the story of silent film star George Valentin, who falls for the rising young actress Peppy Miller. Set during the period when silent films are waning and talkies are on the rise, George refuses to become a part of the new medium, in which Peppy is so wonderfully succeeding.
Following the historic market crash of 1929, George is left penniless and defeated, with fewer and fewer options left to him to return to his past stardom, and win back the love of the girl he helped raise to fame.
As you'll no doubt already know, The Artist was last year's big success story in the film industry, sweeping the board at the Oscars, including taking Best Director, Best Actor, and the most coveted Best Picture. And it did so with good reason. Though it was up against tough competition, The Artist is one of the most original films to be made since the time in which it is set.
The silent nature of the film puts the emphasis even more on its performers, and George Valentin and Peppy Miller are fantastically acted by leading stars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. It also necessitates a strong score to accompany the film, which composer Ludovic Bource has provided in spades, winning Best Original Score for his efforts at the Oscars.
Released on Blu-ray, the film looks and sounds simply beautiful. The choreography of the dance numbers is magnificently crisp in High Definition, and the music throughout will pull the strings of your heart in all the right ways. It is a must-have for every lover of cinema, and will be remembered for years to come.
When it comes to a movie like the Artist, it is rather easy to begin a review by pouring appreciation on the lines of 'an earnest effort', 'an outstanding cinema', 'a touching story' and 'an inspirational exercise'. However at the core of it all, even those selecting up the best of phrases wonder at the back of their minds that whether a movie like this would actually end up entertaining at all or not. As something which is poignant, honest, remarkable or moving could be a piece of literature or a documentary as well. Nevertheless when it comes to the medium of cinema, what is also of paramount significance is the fact that whether a movie manages to keep your attention and engage you for those 100 minutes or not. Thankfully, when it comes to the Artist, the answer is a solid 'Yes'.
The French are no strangers for making pretentious films that they call art. And yet every once in a while they do make something so beautiful and moving that it actually turns out to be art. Last decade they produced Amelie and this decade they exposed us to the wonder that is the Artist. Making a black and white silent movie in 2011 was a very brave and bold move from them. Luckily, this risky move has paid off very well for its cast and crew. As now the Artist is the proud winner of 5 Academy Awards and 3 Golden Globes.
What works most for this movie is the fact that writer/director Michael Hazanavicius retains the very charm of innocence and purity throughout the movie by concentrating mainly on letting the story speak for itself, pun intended, rather than forcing statements and ideas upon the viewers. I won't divulge in the plot as the story is straight forward and by no means convoluted. At its heart is a touching love story reminiscence of old classics and infused with modern wit and gusto. Every scene is crisp and short and things move on with a brisk pace allowing us to move from one situation to another rather swiftly.
Considering the movie's lack of dialogues and the power of entertaining the viewers through famous quotes and witty one-liners, the challenge lies on the makers to attract us through other means and they lift this burden by compensating handsomely in 3 main areas; the visuals, the music and the performances.
The Artist is a visual treat and a feast for the senses. It is truly one of the most beautiful films to look at. The sets are extravagant, the costumes are sumptuous and the black and white adds a dreamlike and stylized dimension to proceedings. The musical score by Ludovic Bource plays a vital and emotional role in the movie since this is the only thing we listen to throughout; it is peppy, joyful, somber and dramatic without being overdone and uses some nice cues from old classical films such as vertigo.
As for the performances, it is rather evident that the actors are cast not only for their talent but for the way that they embody old Hollywood glamour and convey information through their body language. Jean Dujardin gives an award winning performance. He portrays with sensitivity, elegance and nuances the transformation of his character's outcome from idolization to lifelessness. He also has a great comedic flair and it's most evident in the scenes he shares with his co-star the dashing and sassy Brenice Bejo, who oozes confidence and positivity and has a highly infectious smile. Veterans John Goodman and James Cromwell are as dependable as always. Finally let's not forget the faithful dog Uggie who is a very charming dog.
Overall, the Artist isn't anything like the typical Hollywood mainstream offerings; it is a novel experience of a class of its own. It has the power to delight and entertain the viewers because it celebrates a real chapter in the history of cinema and pays a glorious tribute to the era of silent movies. The Artist pairs a touching love story with masterful filmmaking techniques and is one of the best films of 2011. Don't miss it.
We will publish your review of The Artist [Blu-ray] on Blu Ray within a few days as long as it meets our guidelines.
None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.
Hollywood 1927. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) it seems the skys the limit major movie stardom awaits. The Artist tells the story of their interlinked destinies. Actors Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle, Beth Grant, Ed Lauter, Joel Murray, Bitsie Tulloch, Ken Davitian, Malcolm McDowell, Basil Hoffman, Bill Fagerbakke & Nina Siemaszko Director Michel Hazanavicius Certificate PG Year 2011 Screen 1.37:1 Languages English
Michel Hazanavicius writes and directs this modern-day silent film comedy recounting the demise of the silent film industry in the late 1920s. Jean Dujardin takes on the role of George Valentin, one of the biggest stars of the silent movie era. George seems to have the perfect life: he loves his work, enjoys adoration from fans and falls in love with a beautiful young starlet, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), after working with her on a movie. When studio boss Zimmer (John Goodman) warns him that the future of film making lies in 'talkies', George is dismissive of the threat. However, as films with audible dialogue begin to take off - with Peppy the undoubted star of the new medium - George struggles to keep pace with a changing world. The film was nominated for ten Oscars at the 2012 Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Dujardin).
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy
