Heart-warming

Rating: 9/10 (31 May 2012)

'The Artist' was the most talked about film in 2011 and for a very good reason, it's the first silent film to get so much attention probably since 'Wings' won the very first Best Picture Oscar in 1927. A lot of people will suggest the only reason it received so much attention was because it was a silent film which is probably true, but it deserves this attention because of its quality also, very few films these days can evoke so much emotion from the audience.
It does take a while to get used to, the scarce bits of dialogue written on the screen but the script makes up for it. The acting between Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo is extremely well done.
The mannerisms all the actors make in this film make it funny, sad, serious, you are relying on their facial expressions throughout the entire film. The music gives a great feeling to the film and has been made to suit the time it is set in (1925-30's). Uggie the dog does steal the show however, his presence provides a lot of comic effect in the film but he also makes scenes a lot more heart-warming.
The scarce use of real sounds is used very cleverly, in dream sequences and towards the end showing the transition in cinema from silent films to 'talkies'.
Overall, this film deserved the hype it received. It fully deserved its Best Picture Oscar and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has not seen it yet.