Equal parts beautiful, Eerie, atmospheric, charming, and ORIGINAL

Rating: 10/10 (27 February 2012)

"The Artist" is one of those films that you go into not expecting very much out of it, and, in the end, you're left truly moved, and inspired. This film is certainly unconventional, but that adds to what makes it so GREAT!
The year is 1927, the place, Hollywood. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is one of the most successful and beloved silent movie stars, and along with his canine companion and sidekick, Uggie, charms his ways through Hollywood. While making his newest movie, George meets an up and coming dancer and actress, Peppy Miller, who dreams of making it big, and the two start an unusual friendship/partnership, which makes George's already jealous wife (Penelope Anne Miller) even MORE jealous, because she believes that there is something more between the two coworkers One day, the director of George's newest film, and a frequent collaborator and close friend (John Goodman) shows George something new, something that he calls "the future"- movies with sound, or Talkies. For some reason, George is not willing to speak in the movies, and is convinced, as is everyone else, that he will soon become a thing of the past.
Over the next few years, Peppy becomes one of the hottest stars in Hollywood, while George sinks deeper and deeper into obscurity. When his next movie, "Tears of Love" opens alongside Peppy's newest Talkie, and proceeds to bomb, he slumps into a deep depression that leads him to fire his butler and closest friend, Clifton (James Cromwell), and on two occasions, attempts to commit suicide, until Peppy comes to his rescue, and saves not only his life, but also his career.
What makes "The Artist" so terrific is the director and cinematographer's decision to shoot the film in black and white, and make it silent, to add to the authenticity of the time period and the subject. The added bonus of VERY FEW duologue cards allows the audience the opportunity to create duologue between the characters. Combine that with Ludovic Borec's score, which ALSO fits the time period, and you have one hell of a authentic film set in the 1920s. The chemistry between Jean Dujardin and Bernece Bejo is ELECTRIC, and their performances speak magnitudes even though the film is silent. This is ONE HELL of an amazing movie, and it leaves you speechless after the film ends.