"The moment the credits roll, you'll want it to start all over again."
The Artist is, without a doubt, one of the best movies of the year. An original masterwork filled with true moments of joy, drama, pain, and classic romance that hasn't been seen on-screen this side of Singing in the Rain or Gone With the Wind.
For the modern audience, most of whom have never actually seen a silent film, the task of sitting through an entire production based around the concept of a silent actor portrayed in a silent movie will prove to be a cinematic curve that will deter certain audience members (see: anyone who liked Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides).
For those who are willing to listen, The Artist will provide the most satisfying taste of cinema's ability to truly entertain.
Jean Dujardin in The Artist (The Weinstein Company)
George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a prominent silent film star in the late 1920s. On the top of the world, Valentin spends his days working at a job he loves, coming home to his loyal (and adorable) dog, Uggie . He also comes home to his wife, Doris (Penelope Anne Miller), but a brief hello is the extent of their vapid interaction.
Valentine has a chance meeting with a fan while schmoozing for the crowd, and this serendipitous event turns out to have vast repercussions on George's future. The girl, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), soon musters up her own career, eventually finding a place for herself in Hollywood. The attraction is immediate and visceral, but the two cannot consummate their feelings.
When "talkies" become the future of the movie industry, George finds himself out of work, a has-been, and decides to prove the world wrong by making his own silent feature. All the while, Peppy finds herself as the new face of the talking Hollywood era. From here The Artist weaves a wonderfully spirited portrayal of a man who has it all, loses what he loves, and must come to terms with what his life can be.
Will he find love? Will he get back on top? Will he make it out alive?
Jean Dujardin in The Artist (The Weinstein Company)
Valentin is one of cinema's most empathetic characters to come along in years. He's a throwback to the stern of mind, light of feet, and "quick with a joke or a light of your smoke" movie stars from a by-gone era. Jean Dujardin, who has rightfully earned many awards and nominations for his performance is simply—enigmatic. He shows more emotion in his left eyelash than most actors over an entire career.
Physical comedy, which hasn't been enjoyable on-screen since Jim Carrey and Chris Farley were able to capture the magic again in the early '90s, is finally back. When George and Peppy engage in a Deliverance moment of back and forth dance steps, the audience cannot help but smile. The Artist is a gift, it brings the past to the present, full of all the original charm and charisma that made cinema a worthy art form in its genesis.
In order to engage a modern audience effectively, The Artist boasts a captivating score by Ludovic Bource. Helping to keep the audience up to speed with the tone and feeling of each scene, the score's heightened importance creates a different kind of cinematic experience that hasn't been around since the silent film era. There is no other score as integral as The Artist's is to its success.
The Artist is also masterfully directed by Michel Hazanavicius, choosing to visually move the audience with shots framed with a classic elegance and movement. (It was actually shot in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio from the silent film era.) The scene that showcases this best features George drinking whiskey on a reflective table. The camera turns upside down, framing his reflection, only to have the whiskey poured on top and distill his appearance. The scene gives the audience everything they need know about the character, and it's simply brilliant to watch.
Jean Dujardin in The Artist (The Weinstein Company)
Overall
A captivating and cultured cinematic love letter to the era of Hollywoodland, The Artist not only harkens back to the best of the era, but pushes modern cinema forward with a look back to where it came from. It's amazing with all of the hack Hollywood scripts floating around, the idea of turning them into silent movies shouldn't be altogether cast aside. (It's a shame The Artist wasn't around before George Lucas started working on his prequels, audiences may have never been subjected to that horrid excuse for dialog. C'est la vie.)
On the Side
Uggie is one one of the best on-screen dogs in years. In fact, this year boasted a rather large collection of memorable pets, including Arthur in Beginners, Dolce in Young Adult, Skeletor in 50/50, and (stretching a bit here) Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Any dog lover must see The Artist, simply to shed a few tears about the love between a man and his best friend.
