Brilliant actors, clever plot, overall unlike anything I've seen before.

Rating: 9/10 (10 March 2012)

More than seldom I can feel that award shows tend to praise the kind of special, small production and unknown films. When one first got news of The Artist when it started winning all these prises one could definitely get the feeling that it was that kind of critically praised film that the generally movie audience would pretty much ignore. I mean a black and white silent film today doesn't sound like the kind that would make many hundred millions on the international arena. But when it after winning those academy awards and getting a cinema release where I live I decided I would give it a chance and it also felt like quite different from anything else I have seen in cinema. Turns out I was more pleasantly surprised than I have been by a movie in years. The film is absolutely brilliant with many successful factors. First and for most the acting is outstanding. Jean Dujardin really deserved that Oscar and the supporting actors are also great. As a silent film it would be essential that the acting is great. Even if there is some subtitles at times it is not very often for most the film relies on the actors managing to make the viewers understand what is going on and what the characters are feeling. They do it brilliantly. There is however background music all the way through the film. It would feel pretty blank if it would be totally soundless for 100 minutes. The music also is used to tell the feeling and tone of what is going on. Like when Valentin is expressing shock the music is high and dramatic. The story is both a homage to the silent era and a great tale. It's a very emotional story that really grips hold of you. But there is quite a lot of humour as well. Still it is greatly considered to not go so far as being silly and taking away focus from the plot. Hearing the description of the film as a silent, black and white, comedy-drama I could easily fear that it would feel slow and overdrawn. It may just be my preconception that unique dramas are like that but I was pleasantly surprised that it was not so in any way. The running length at less than two hours is perfect. Over all the film fits perfectly in the middle, not overdrawn and not rushed. The Artist is a brilliant movie. The opening is kind of slow for a while but one soon gets into it and after it never let's go. While I would not quite praise it as a masterpiece The Artist is a close to perfect movie 9/10.