I am really curious to see this French movie because I have read great reviews and of course I am curious about it because of the numerous nominations it received from Oscars. I heard it won 5 out of its 10 nominations. “The Artist” is Oscar’s Best Picture for year 2012 and its protagonist, Jean Dujardin won as Best Actor.
Still, since it was my first time to watch a full-length silent movie, I have low expectations. I was thinking that I would probably just sleep through it since I don’t really enjoy movies with slow phasing, the actors don’t say much, and there are minimal suspense scenes. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that “The Artist” doesn’t fit in any of those descriptions.
Just a few minutes after the movie starts rolling, I find myself amused and hooked into the actors and the story. It is so entertaining and would evoke almost all kinds of emotions from the audience.
The story revolves around George Valentin who was a big star during the silent movie era. It shows “The Artist” during the peak of his career peak and his gradual downfall when the talking movie starts to come in. It also shows a love story between George and Peppy Miller. One can actually feel the chemistry and deep love between their characters even if there is not even one kissing scene during the entire movie.
French actor, Jean Dujardin is a joy to watch. Aside from being strikingly handsome, (I have a crush on him), his facial expressions speak volumes even without a word so he clearly deserved the Best Actor award. I particularly like the scene when the character of George Valentin bumps into Peppy Miller in the stairs of the Kinograph Studios. It marks the rise of Peppy’s career and the downfall of George. I think it is a creative way to show that the people you meet on the way up are also the ones you will meet on the way down.
Another amazing thing about “The Artist” is how the film really looks like it was created in the 1920’s. The costume, the cinematography, the hairdo’s, the cars, the cameras, etc. Almost (since it is high definition and is not really silent) nothing in the movie provides a clue that it was filmed in the age of internet and mobile phones. It was like the actors traveled via a time machine. I love the music and their dance movements. I can’t wait to recommend this to a cousin who loves old movies, I am sure she will enjoy it.
Anyway, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to watch a different kind of flick. It is a break from movies that features superheroes and extraordinary beings with all its deafening noise and strange conflicts. The movie is so simple so I guess it proves true the saying that simplicity is the highest form of sophistication as this film embodies what a motion picture should be.
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