Revisit this Silent Classic

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2014)

As you start contemplating which current Oscar contenders to check out, might I recommend a recent Oscar winner THE ARTIST
I know, quite a few of you are saying "but, it's a SILENT movie! I want SOUND!" I am here to tell you – "NO, YOU DON'T". A picture is worth a thousand words – besides, how many words are there in those comic books you read!
For those of you with memory issues – The Artist is a black and white SILENT movie set in Hollywood in the waning days of the Silent Movie era and the burgeoning days of the "talkies". It follows a dashing Hollywood Silent Movie Leading Man, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin in a deservedly Oscar-winning turn) as he stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the change to "talkies" and the consequences that ensue. Dujardin is appropriately charming in this role without being annoying and he becomes the kind of hero that you will want to root for.
The surprise, to me, in this movie is Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller – the up and coming actress that embraces (and, in turn, is embraced by) the "talkies". In what could have been a standard "A Star is Born" turn, Bejo gives Peppy a spunkiness and charm that shows on screen. Remember, this is a SILENT movie, so anything that any of these actors do has to be conveyed through their faces – and Bejo's face speaks volumes. She was nominated for an Academy Award for this performance – and lost to Meryl Streep's powerhouse portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in THE IRON LADY – while I really enjoyed Streep's performance, and thought her Oscar was deserving, I preferred her performance over Streep. I can't believe I'm saying that, but it is true, nonetheless. I encourage you to judge for yourself.
As far as the other performances go, John Goodman steals just about every scene that he is in (of course) as the head of the studio, Al Zimmer. Goodman had a good 2011 having scene stealing supporting roles in not only this movie, but FLIGHT (a must see) and ARGO (an even bigger must see). Another supporting player that clearly steals every scene he is in from DuJardin, Bejo, Goodman (and everyone else) is Uggie, the Jack Russell Terrier as Valentin's faithful friend, confident and savior. I usually turn a cold heart to animal performances, but this one was touching and effective without becoming cloying.
I went into this movie with my arms folded across my chest in a clear "I hear this is good, it better be" attitude and was rewarded with a charming, fun, nostalgic and often-times touching experience. I would strongly recommend this to you and your family (certainly children in their teenage years would/should enjoy this). 9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis).