Left me uplifted and moved, a magical piece of film-making and a truly endearing homage to the silent era

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2016)

2011 saw a lot of very good to outstanding films. After seeing 'The Artist', having heard so much about it but never got round to seeing it, for me it is up there with the best of them and one of the best films seen in a long time.
As someone who loves a lot of films from the silent era, having been vastly entertained by classics from the likes of cinema icons Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, 'The Artist' is magical film-making, a wonderfully endearing homage to the silent era and is much more than just a gimmick like it could easily have been in lesser hands.
For starters, 'The Artist' is gorgeously filmed in black and white with the cinematography along with the likes of 'Drive', 'The Tree of Life' and 'Hugo' being some of the best of the year. One of the most visually exquisite films seen in a long time actually. The music score, with a nice affectionate nod to one of the greatest music scores of all-time Bernard Hermann's 'Vertigo', is whimsical and rich in playfulness and charm, all the time beautifully orchestrated.
'The Artist' was clearly written with a lot of affection, with plenty of funny and poignant moments, and while the storytelling is simple it really uplifts and moves with the atmosphere of the silent era more than convincingly evoked. The direction is also without complaint. The characters endear and entertain, especially George and adorable Uggie, and nothing can be faulted about the acting.
Jean Dujardin's lead performance is just wonderful, a more than worthy winner for the best actor award. Bérénice Bejo is similarly charming and has great chemistry with Dujardin, while the talented supporting cast are all stellar with no weak links. As for adorable Uggie, one of the best animal performances on film to me and award-worthy if there was an award eligible for animals (which one wouldn't say no to).
In conclusion, a sheer delight all round and, despite the competition being strong, its Oscar win for Best Picture was deserved. One of the easiest 10/10s given recently. Bethany Cox