The Artist

Going into The Artist, I wasn't sure what to expect. Reviews have been really good and everyone has been talking about how it'll win a lot of Oscars. I was a bit skeptical, but figured I would give it a chance. I'm really glad that I did :) It was a really sweet, fun movie.

As you're probably aware by now, The Artist is a (mostly) silent movie shot in black & white. But don't let that stop you. I don't know how they did it (making a movie like this in todays world), but they pulled it off.

The Artist starts out in the year 1927 and spans about 5 years. George Valentin (played brilliantly by french actor Jean Dujardin) is arguably the biggest silent movie start in Hollywood. At home however, his marriage is obviously an unhappy one. Infact, his only friend seems to be his dog (who is absoluetly adorable and probably has more talent than a lot of actors in Hollywood these days). Despite this, he enjoys his success. One day, at the premiere of his latest movie, he literally runs into aspiring actress Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). There's an instant attraction between them. Eventually, "talking" movies are introduced. George is very skeptical of them, and slowly his career begins to fade. However, Peppy ends up being the fresh face the studio (the same one George works for) uses to launch into talking movies. She becomes an instant success and is in dozen of movies. The two of them see each other at times over the next 5 years as George tries to figure out if he fits into Hollywood anymore.

I give a lot of credit to the actors. Without dialog for 99% of the movie, you really have to be spot on with every move and every facial expression in order to keep the audience attention and get the right emotions across. Everyone did an amazing job. Sorry George Clooney (who was really good in The Descendants and earlier on was my pick for Best Actor), but I have a feeling Jean Dujardin is going to win the Best Actor Oscar this Sunday. He just blew me away with his performance. Berenice Bejo was good as well. Very charming. I think she has a bright future ahead of her.

Is The Artist perfect? No. Is it overhyped? Maybe a little. Some parts of the movie did seem to drag. But I had fun. I walked out of the theater in a good mood and with a smile on my face. It keep me entertained and that's all I can ask for :)

My Rating: 8.5/10