A very original piece of story telling

Rating: 9/10 (8 August 2013)

A genuine original, clever, witty and engaging - rather like me in fact.
Original and witty in the way The Artist tells its story and that is what makes it so engaging. The story about some of the biggest stars of the silent era being unable to make the transition to talkies is as old as the hills. This way of telling that story it is as fresh as a daisy.
The way the audience engages with the film is noticeably different. In places you're almost lip reading. The Artist also underlines the point that is the story and how it is told that makes the film and not colour, FX, 3D, etc.
The theme is how the world inevitably changes as some people benefit because of some change while others do not as they are unable to adapt. George Valentin's (Jean Dujardin) flaw that leads to his downfall is his overly conservative attitude and refusing to believe the tastes of the paying public are so very unlike his own (reminds me of a few film critics). As the paying public quickly take to talkies George rapidly becomes a dinosaur.
Of course it is essentially a love story. Berenice Bejo does a great job of playing Peppy Miller the reason why George gets his life back together.
The Artist is an uplifting tale told in an original way. The fact The Artist makes use of the conventions of the silent era suggests that it is not entirely forgotten.