REVIEW: The Artist

 There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.


THE GOOD: Michel Hazanavicius. The Artist writer and director Michel Hazanavicius has done something great here. He has made a black and white silent film in 2011. What courage! What creativity! And what a delight! Yes, all the good things that you've heard about The Artist are true, and quite possibly even better depending on how much of a film buff you are. The silent film thing could have been a big gimmick, but Hazanavicius uses the technique in the best way possible and tells a story that is as magical as the films that Hollywood has been known to make. It is without a doubt that The Artist would not have been made had Hazanavicius not made his OSS 117 films, which also star French actor Jean Dujardin. For those who don't know, OSS 117 is a parody of James Bond movies and other spy/inspector films that came out of the '60s. Hazanavicius purposely made the films look like they were made in that era and it's almost flawless. He puts a lot of care into the visuals of his movies. He did extensive research about 1920s Hollywood in preparation for The Artist and studied silent films to find the right techniques to make the story comprehensible without having to use too many intertitles (the printed text that appears in the film, typically white on a black background, in the midst of the photographed action). Because of this, so much of the story relies on how well the visuals are presented. The movie was shot in the 1.33:1 "Academy ratio," just as in silent-film days, since Hazanvicius considered it "perfect for actors" because it gives them "a presence, a power, a strength. They occupy all the space of the screen." What's next for Mr. H? Well, it's been reported that he'll remake Fred Zinnemann's 1948 film The Search, but will update the setting to contemporary "war-torn" Chechnya.

PEPPY MILLER: *whispers* "Your fly is undone."

Acting. Jean Dujardin stars as George Valentin, the most popular silent actor who must deal with the rise of talking pictures. Dujardin gives a really unique performance that had me going through every emotion that his character went through. It was probably my second or third favorite performance this year. Dujardin won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered. Michel Hazanavicius' wife, Bérénice Bejo, plays Peppy Miller. A young dancer who starts out as an extra on films, but gains popularity and fame with the talkies. She captures the actresses of the early 1930s film era perfectly. John Goodman, James Cromwell, Malcolm McDowell, and others pop up every now and then, but other actor that often steals the show is not human. Uggie plays Valentin's trusty and loyal dog. He's cute, funny, and expresses himself just as well as his co-stars. There's even an unofficial Oscar campaign for him.

Story. They just don't make them like this anymore. I'm not talking about the black and white thing, but rather the story. It's so incredibly simple, yet full of life, energy, and potential. You are immediately drawn into the film because it feels like a story you've heard before. Deep down though, this is a story about Hollywood. About how when the new comes in, the old can feel rejected or not as in as it once was. However, what's needed is a common ground because the new would not have even existed had it not been for the old.

Ludovic Bource. Composer Ludovic Bource listened to a lot of the great masters of classical music and Hollywood scores, as well as watched classic films with Hazanvicius, doing about a year’s worth of intense research in all before even starting to write the music. He was involved in the project from the very first storyboard and wrote a score that defines the movie without directing it. There is little synchronicity between the music and the images and it works just as well as it did back in the late '20s.

Production design. The whole design team deserves major props for obvious reasons. If you've seen the film, everything looks perfect. Led by Laurence Bennett, the design team turned Los Angeles back into the clean, sparkling beauty it may have been back in those days. The costumes, the sets, and the locations are all places I feel like I've seen before in old movies.

Best Jack Russell terrier performance since Frasier.

THE BAD: The look. This is a very small complaint because this movie is almost perfect. My only issue was that, while the film did really look like an authentic black and white silent film, there was something slightly off about it that would sometimes send me back to the present day. The camera being too in focus sometimes, actors not moving on screen fast enough, or a not enough of an exaggerated emotion. It makes up for it though in all of its charming aspects.


THE END: I've seen my fair share of silent films from Ben-Hur to countless Charlie Chaplin films. I even attended a Chaplin film festival last year in Seattle. A lot of people think that they won't like a movie that has no talking and is in black and white, but I would urge them to reconsider as it can often times be easier to view as there is less content for your brain to interpret. Sometimes we get overloaded with complex stories, high-octane action, or emotional drama that we forget the simple aspects of film and filmmaking. Sometimes a good, simple story is all you need. The Artist proves this fact, but excels because of its technical qualities. The film has six Golden Globe nominations (the most of 2011), five Independent Spirit Award nominations, and I'm certain it will be nominated for at least a few Academy Awards. You would be doing yourself a disservice not to see one of the best films of the year.


DISCUSS: What did you think of The Artist? What is your background with silent cinema? What was your favorite aspect of the film? What surprised you about the film? What was the audience reaction in your theatre? What did you think of the music?

Jean Dujardin watches Kevin James' performance in The Zookeeper for inspiration.