The Artist

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2012)

When motion pictures were invented in the last years of the 19th Century it was a huge revolution, and as shorts and features were made they were highly popular, but the bigger revolution came with the introduction of sound, in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, so silent pictures faded away about two years later, but this was a magnificent return to that golden age of cinema that I was very excited to watch. Basically, set in 1925, George Valentin (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning Jean Dujardin) is a huge star of the silent films, and while attending the premiere of his latest picture A Russian Affair he bumps into a beautiful admiring fan, Peppy Miller (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Bérénice Bejo), and they pose in photographs together that go on the front page of many newspapers and magazines. Peppy meets George again attending dance auditions, and he insists with the studio boss Al Zimmer (John Goodman) she has a part in his new film they are making, and as she appears in more and more pictures her stardom grows larger. Two years later, and Zimmer announces silent picture productions will no longer be made, with the introduction of sound, but George insists that it is a fad and will not get audiences flocking to the cinemas, but in fact they do. With the popularity of "talking pictures" growing rapidly, and George's movie stardom fading, he tries his hand at making his own silent film, Tears of Love, with all his own money put in, but he is devastated to see that it opens the same day as one of Peppy's new sound films, and he is left broke and depressed as a consequence of its failure. George's wife Doris (Penelope Ann Miller) throws him out and he is forced to move in with his valet Clifton (James Cromwell), who he soon fires as he can't afford to pay him anymore, and with the 1929 stock market crash he is forced to sell off his personal effects to make some money back. Peppy meanwhile has become a huge star of talking pictures, thanks largely to the man who found her, and suggested her iconic mole above the mouth look, but George meanwhile has let pride get the better of him, and in a drunken and angry state he destroys all his film reels, starting a fire in his home. His faithful and trained acting Dog (Uggie) gets help and he is put in hospital with only moderate injuries suffered, and Peppy visits him, also to take him home with her to recover, and he finds Clifton working there as well. Peppy suggests he should let go of his pride and make a sound picture with her, and she demands this to Zimmer or she will quit the studio, while George himself discovers to his shock that Peppy is the one who bought all his personal effects in the auction. He returns to his burnt home, and he contemplates suicide with his gun, but Peppy arrives to stop him, and they reconcile with each other, and she reveals he has secured a role in a new film with her, but he still worries whether he still be liked speaking in a film. So they compromise and make a musical film together, and we see their fabulous tap dance together, and this is the point when sound enters and Zimmer applauds them, saying "Cut! Perfect. Beautiful. Could you give me one more?", and with a French accent George says "With pleasure.", and they continue filming. Also starring Missi Pyle as Constance, Malcolm McDowell as The Butler, Beth Grant as Peppy's Maid and Ed Lauter as Peppy's Butler. Dujardin gives a wonderful performance as the charmer who almost loves himself and slowly goes downhill with his silent movie career dying, Bejo is also wonderful as the beautiful rising star who embraces sound pictures and goes from strength to strength, together they are a sweet couple as well, the other stars of the film with their facial expressions being key also do well, especially the adorable Uggie the dog who steals many of the scenes he is in with his clever tricks. This is not only a great homage to great films in the "silent era", where stars like Sir Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy were made, but filmed in black and white, with intertitles for dialogue, and set in Hollywood at the time that sound was introduced to film, it also serves as an accurate interpretation of how important this motion picture revolution was. The film only delves into sound three times, first for a nightmare where simple and increasing volume noises overpower and the lead character remains silent, second for a song, and thirdly obviously for the ending, but it has spectacular music (including a recognisable theme from Vertigo) to help tell the story and create the emotions, and overall it sticks with authentic traditions and conventions of a silent film. It is a remarkable recreation of past cinema, full of all the emotions you would hope for, and an astonishing power to entertain without having to rely on what now is an important feature, it really does feel like something made in the time, an amazing, genius, must see silent romantic drama masterpiece. It won the Oscars for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, Best Music for Ludovic Bource and Best Costume Design, and it was nominated for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing and Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Hazanavicius, it won the BAFTAs for Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Music, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Original Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Editing, Best Make Up & Hair, Best Production Design and Best Sound, and it won the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical and Best Original Score, and it was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay. Outstanding!