Cold and calculating,with a cynical eye on the camera...

Rating: 6/10 (25 January 2015)

When I was 11 years old and innocently in love with the daughter of a Salvation Army officer in Guildford,I used to go to meetings and sit in the dark hoping my "Start - rites" would brush against her leather sandals as we watched "Blood and fire in action" and other epics about the Army's good works in the London slums. As light relief we were shown a few silent shorts and I was introduced to "Easy Street",extracts from "Chrismas Tree salesmen" and several episode of "Tol'able David" which sealed my fate as a devoted film - lover for the next 60 - odd years. Over the years I bought 8mm prints of many silent and they seldom failed to produce the tingle that was only partly induced by the scrape of shoe on shoe all those years ago. So when I watched "The Artist" I was slightly disappointed to find very little emotional engagement. Yes it's clever and perhaps an interesting conceit for a 20 minute TV slot,but it is constantly telling us how cute and funny the characters are and how many movies the makers have seen,which I found a little irritating. It goes on too long in telling its story which is not so much a re - telling of 1920s cinema but rather a re - telling of a 1950s take on 1920s cinema. It may be a simplification to declare that only comedy,melodrama and epic works in Silent form,but not much of one. "The Artist" is giving us a musical comedy (with no on screen music,obviously)with bits of drama thrown in. The cast is energetic,but in a 21st century post - modern - ironic way. It lacks the apparent spontaneity that was the genius of Chaplin,Keaton and Lloyd,and the loveability that emanated from Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy in every frame. Rather it is cold and calculating with a cynical eye on the camera. Comparisons to the contemporary "Hugo" - another tribute to early movies are valid and invidious despite the latter having dialogue in sound rather than just a musical track.It has what The Artist" lacks - heart. In that respect maybe "The Artist" might have been better off with just a solo piano to reinforce the mood. Somehow a full - blown orchestra blasting out at inappropriate moments seems a little de trop.