Since this Oscar winning film is coming out on Blu-Ray next week, I decided to come back to one of my favorite films of 2011. The Artist is the cinematic treat that comes around every awards seasons and seem destined to snag all the wins and acclaim. Sure, I sometimes chide that these are the sort of films that are Oscar bait and are meant only to win awards. but on the rare occasion, you get a film like this that reminds you of why you go to the movies and the progression that cinema has had over the century.
I loved The Artist and everything it did for cinema. From the glorious, regal feeling of Old Hollywood to the emotion story about clinging to the past while the world changes around you, the film was prime for the Oscar win, more so because it would be ironic for this to win considering how the Academy votes. People condemn the Academy for being stuck in the past, clinging to the era when movies were the talk of the town and reminding the aging members about what it was truly like back then. It’s funny that they choose a film that ultimately shows the consequences of hanging back while the industry changes and eventually leaves you behind. The Artist is that sort of parable that should remind everyone as to how film/cinema/movies have progressed over time.
While the story was about the birth and growth of cinema we have come to know and love, I can’t overlook the phenomenal acting from Jean Dujardin, who had to carry an entire film without the use of words and conveyed the full spectrum of emotions during the film. Encapsulating that wondrous, bygone era of silent film stars, he is offset beautifully by the breathtaking Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller, the up and coming star of the talkie era. Their differences and love of film is conveyed wonderfully through their interactions, often bemusing since older actors are soon forgotten as the new crop begins to takeover. All this rings a bit of truth to Hollywood and film, sometimes it is bittersweet to see the fall from grace, by endearing as change comes to all.
Everything about this movie is amazing. From the score, to the acting, to the dance numbers and the feel of old silent films, it is a movie that we will never get another like it in our lifetime. It was ballsy really to take a chance and recreate an era which youths would have no knowledge of. In this day and age where audience members want loud booms and plenty of raunchy jokes to keep us entertained, The Artist does shine as a gem of cinema, recalling those halcyon days when films had a meager beginning and developed over time. It all fell into place and it was one of the best movies of the year.
Below is a link and excerpt to my original review. If you haven’t seen it, check it out next week when it becomes available.
In the sea of films out there this year, none come close to capturing the spirit of cinema that The Artist manages to do. It’s a film that managed to encapsulate the entire spectrum of human emotions and bottle it into a film that relies on the physical acting of those involved. It forces the audience to be challenged with a movie that doesn’t flat-out tell you what is going on. We have become so numb as a movie audience that any actor can come on the screen and flatly deliver emotional lines without changing their expression. If I wanted to see and hear someone deliver lines like a brick wall would, I can go stare at a brick wall for 2 hours instead. read more here
*image via RottenTomatoes
