Cineatic Perfection...without a doubt...without a word.

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2011)

This film has got to be the absolute best silent film I have ever seen. Pay no regard to the fact that it is the ONLY silent film I have ever seen.
"The Artist" is truly something to behold. In 2011, one would think it would be implausible for anyone to have the guts to produce, direct or star in a silent black and white film, never mind that film garnering as much attention and buzz as this film has. But, here it is. And it is a must-see film.
Being silent, it is almost unnecessary to note that the story is incredibly simple: the fall of silent film great George Valentin at the onset of "talkies" over a four-year period beginning in 1928. But one is not in the cinema for the plot line. if you see this movie, you are most certainly there to witness the execution of this anomaly. I assure you, you will be bewildered.
Written and directed by the virtually unknown French director Michel Hazanavicius with absolute pristine perfection, there is no threat that the silent genre is going to make any sort of a comeback, but this man's eye for detail is beyond explanation, and may just lead him to a coveted Academy Award nomination. One of the most visually captivating films of the year, the subtle nuances and imagery set forth goes far beyond any film in recent memory. These nuances, however, would mean nothing if no for the actors, and Hazanavicius struck gold with the casting. Jean Dujardin is guaranteed an Oscar nomination for his lead role of George Valentin. And I would even go so far as to say that, even at this early stage, my money will be on him to win. Not bad for a man who was also virtually unknown to this continent five minutes ago. With no dialogue, it takes one hell of a talent to get across what Dujardin accomplishes merely by body language and facial expression. He is so good that he needs no dialogue for you to almost understand every word. I have a hard time imagining any other performance this year showing such true acting strength as one who carries an entire film without saying a word.
The same thing can be said about his co-star Berenice Bejo. Having flirted with American audiences in "A Knight's Tale" with Heath Ledger ten years ago, Bejo returns to North American soil like a thunderous cloud playing Peppy Miller, one-time-Valentin-super-fan-cum-Hollywood starlet. The absolutely stunning actress will make you fall in love with her merely by the wink of her eye and the air kiss she will throw. Going up against a performance as extraordinary as Dujardin's is no easy feat, and Bejo not only holds her own with ease, but manages to steal a scene here and there merely with her beauty and charm. There has been no Oscar buzz around this name and I am hereby beginning it.
Yes, there are some well-known American actors seemingly chosen out of left-field for this French production who also give excellent performances, including the incredibly visual John Goodman, the always solid James Cromwell and even a surprisingly sweet turn for Penelope Ann Miller along with a cameo by Malcolm McDowell. However, the character that most deserves the biggest mention after Dujardin and Bejo is that which was created by Ludovic Bource. Bource created the score. In a film with no dialogue, the driving force behind what you're watching is the music that you hear, and Bource's inventive soundtrack is both inventive, original and serves as practically a supporting character on its own. I smell another guaranteed Oscar nomination here, too.
And when the music isn't playing? There are still moments of absolute brilliance, as Hazanavicius uses both silence as a device and, in one scene of extraordinary editing, the use of nightmarish sounds as Valentin dreams of the end of silence.
Brilliant? Have I used the word brilliant yet? Brilliant.
While this film may not be everyone's cup of tea in terms of entertainment, anyone who does experience it with have a brush with greatness for just under two hours and will certainly get a leg up on next year's Academy Awards.
With films like this, who needs dialogue? Certainly not Michel Hazanavicius.