Rating of
3.5/4
The Artist review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 04/02/12
A fictional romantic drama silent movie (with a touch of dialogue perfectly inserted in the conclusion) that is optimistic and simple, yet strikingly effective and entertaining. Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) accidentally bumps into silent movie star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin). She gets casted in a film of George and becomes more successful than he is. There is a major change in the movie industry; talkies are in while silent films are out. George creates a silent movie to prove a point but eventually fails and suffers various hardships. Even to the point of firing his loyal driver James Cromwell (Clifton).
Viewing Valentin’s rise and fall was heart breaking, though some trepidation’s this reviewer had were the depiction of Valentin's hallucinations made the film longer and lack of history with his wife. It does feel like a silent film but drags a bit near the ending because of the scenes of Valentin. Nevertheless, highlights were Uggie as Jack (the dog) was just wonderful and too adorable to miss and its humor and subtle themes. The messages were clear with lines from the character of Peppy - “Out with the old, in with the new…That’s life,” and George – “If only he could talk.” Its artists were sincere in the performances which make it work. The lines and gestures were humorous and sensitive at the same time depending on the scenes. Score, set pieces and choreography were extravagant and entertaining. A film of change, stardom, relationships, movie industry, second chances and friendship (animal or human), The Artist is a perfect homage to the silent industry and overcoming obstacles.
