"If that's the future, you can have it!"

Rating: 9/10 (19 January 2014)

I don't know if it's fair to compare this film against the ones from the pre-1929 'silent era', but I really can't think of any that might be better than this one with the exception of Chaplin's "City Lights". This was an excellent homage to those silent screen days while offering a competent history lesson on the transition that left one set of actors behind and propelled another toward stardom. For a couple of actors I'd never heard of, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo were outstanding in their roles, with a chemistry that transcended the difference in their characters' ages. Though it did surprise me to learn that in real life Dujardin is a mere four years older than his co-star. This picture managed to take on a couple of modern day filming taboos by going for black and white as well as attempting to tell a story without sound. Fans of cinema are the real winners here as this is a wonderful story told wonderfully, so don't let those pre-conceived barriers hold you back from seeing this picture.