Beautifully directed and amazingly acted masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (31 January 2012)

It should be made clear: many consider this film to be the best of the year. Masterfully made, "The Artist" soars in just about every redeeming quality thinkable: character development, exceptional acting, etc. It's difficult to talk about such a masterpiece without including a string of compliments. Actors in the film mostly use gestures and expressions rather than words, but it is still clear how they feel about something. It's full of surprises and is primarily a romance story, although it contains just as much comedy and drama. In one instance, music from the score of Alfred Hitchcock's film "Vertigo" is used, but it ends up still fitting well with the scene it accompanies. There's really no reason to not see this, and there's a perfect reason it received an avalanche of prestigious awards.