Nominated: The
Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo,
Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Should have won: The
Artist
Be sure to see:
Contagion, Hannah, Insidious, The Muppets, Rise of the Planet of the
Apes, Sinister, Super 8
“I won't work anymore,
it's him or me. What I mean is it's him and me. Or it's neither of
us. Hey, I'm blackmailing you, get it?”--Peppy Miller
Right off the bat I have
to mention that on a personal note I was intrigued by The Artist the
first time I saw it in part because Peppy (Berenice Bejo) looked exactly like
a woman I was dating at the time. Looking at the actress' profile I saw she had
appeared in a lot of projects but I'd never seen her before. She is
from Argentina and hopefully her career takes off. Upon rewatching a couple of years after I wasn't dating her doppleganger, I still enjoyed it. It is my third favorite winner of the 21st century to
date. But it also seems to be one of the least accepted movies ever
made.
The movie is silent, and
takes a similar cue from Singin' in the Rain of how a silent
star would be affected by the advent of talkies. I have seen around
20 or so silent movies. I enjoy them; I think they have a special
charm about them, but I understand why they wouldn't appeal to modern
audiences. What I don't understand, however, is why someone would see
it knowing they wouldn't like it and then complain later. Some people
just wouldn't like a silent movie, you know who you are, and there is
nothing wrong with that. However, there is something wrong with
seeing one and then complaining later. Did you not see a preview? Did
you walk in blindfolded, unknowing what you were going into? The
concept is brilliant. You see period pieces all the time. Civil War
films, movies about life in the 1940s, etc. What is wrong with making
one about the silent era
that dares
to be
silent itself?
I applaud this decision and also want to wink at Mel Brooks for
making Silent Movie in 1976.
In 1927 Hollywood, silent
film star George Valentin shines on the screen. As a mob of fans
surround a press shoot, Peppy Miller, a fan, inadvertently bumps
into him. Their picture together is printed in the newspaper, and she
takes the occurrence and uses it to her advantage, auditioning for a
bit part in a movie. As her screen credits rise slightly each picture
she makes, the new talkies cause Valentin to slide off the radar. Her
new found fame goes to Peppy’s head, but all the while still has a
little love for Valentin. You can sense a chemistry in one of the
best scenes when Peppy is still an extra and George is a star. There
is a scene that is shot in five takes in which they briefly dance
with each other as George makes his way across a crowded room. You
can sense a spark.
The movie is loaded with
bit characters and memorable scenes like Valentin's auction when his
career is in shambles, the dog racing to find a police officer,
Peppy's date telling Valentin that his father is a fan, a wonderful
solo scene of Peppy being seduced by George's coat, and of course
that final scene which was said to take 18 takes to get right. I
won't reveal what this scene is because it is a solution to what will
make George relevant again. I also like the scene where George is
contemplating suicide while Peppy is rushing to be by his side,
particularly the surprising climax.
The novelty of a black
and white silent movie in the 21st century is part of the
movie's charm but beyond that it is a good story and a pleasure to
watch. A big selling point is the acts of the dog but I didn't feel
very impressed by them. I've seen better stunts by other animals in
movies. In one particular sequence it appears Valentin and the dog
are doing the same motions together. Looking closely you'll see the
dog acts first and Jean Dujardin just followed.
Dujardin won best actor
over George Clooney for The Descendants which I don't agree
with but I was hoping Berenice Bejo had won her supporting actress
award which she lost. If you haven't seen any silent movies, I
recommend you pick up a Charlie Chaplin or Harold Lloyd movie to
start off, Safety Last! would do nicely. My first was
Nosferatu, the greatest vampire movie ever made. Perhaps A Trip to the Moon since it is shorter. Eventually, I'd recommend checking out classics like Phantom of the Opera or City Lights. But
it would be fine to begin with The
Artist, too. Other than one gimmicky segment in the middle, the movie looks like it could have come right out of the silent era. I've heard people complain about making a silent movie in the 21st century but why not? I'm surprised there haven't been more examples to tell you the truth. It comes recommended. Beyond the silent aspect it is a good story and a romantic experience.
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