97% The Artist

In an age where Hollywood is heading in the direction of big, bloated 3D blockbusters, The Artist reflects on where we were almost a century ago. What was film like back then? In a very unique stylistic choice, French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius decides to give the audience the silent film treatment. And yet, this style is very much a way of identifying with the main protagonist, George Valentin.Valentin is the most popular actor of his time. He is a proud man - too proud - but his films make money and audiences love him. That is, until the day that the studios decide to introduce sound into the process. As Valentin is told in a board meeting, audiences loved his face, but they won't love his voice. His days are over - out with the old, in with the new. As his life begins to crumble, a young actress named Peppy Miller replaces Valentin as the most in demand. Interesting enough, Peppy developed a friendship with George prior to his firing. The Artist is a pleasant film, a reflection on a time when sound - something we all take for granted now in watching movies - was completely controversial, threatening to destroy the lives of many established actors and changing the face of Hollywood forever. Today, the evolution of 3D has reached the same level of controversy, and once again seems to be changing the way we will continue to watch movies. In times like these, it's important to reflect on the past.I admire Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, who play George and Peppy respectively. They embrace the camera with the same kind of screen presence as Charlie Chapman or Lillian Gish. The soundtrack is equally exquisite, and is a key attribute to invoking the emotional arcs that this story travels through. Yet as much as I enjoyed The Artist, I am weary of the accolades this film is receiving. I don't think it's anywhere near the same league as Singin' In The Rain, still in my opinion the best film ever made about the transition towards "talkies". I find The Artist's story a bit predictable and rather shallow. What saves it for me is the style. In an age where every studio film has sucked the life out of the magic of visual effects, The Artist is wonderfully refreshing, breathing new life and new perspective into a previously thought dead art form.

February 22, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_artist/

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