The sweet sound of silence

Rating: 8/10 (21 April 2013)

Kudos to director Michel Hazanavicius. He had the audacious idea to make a black-and-white silent film more than eighty years after movies had begun to talk. And then he executed that idea brilliantly. The film had the potential to be a cheap, if interesting gimmick. It proved to be so much more than that. It proved to be a great film. The fact it was so unique only added to its allure. Helped by a terrific cast Hazanavicius produced true movie magic.
There are so many ingenious things about The Artist but the smartest thing the film has going for it is its subject matter. It's a silent film about silent films. And that opens up so many delicious possibilities. The film's star, Jean Dujardin in a truly mesmerizing performance, is playing silent film star George Valentin. Valentin is on top of his game and on top of the world. The biggest star of his era, adored by legions of fans. One of his biggest fans is a young woman, Peppy Miller, who audaciously sneaks in a kiss with him outside the premiere of Valentin's latest smash hit. Little do either of them know then that they are two ships passing in the night. The silent movie era is about to end. George Valentin is on the way to ruin. Peppy Miller is on the way to stardom.
Peppy starts out as an anonymous extra on one of Valentin's films. From there her star slowly rises. Meanwhile his star burns out completely. The world forgets George Valentin. But Peppy does not. She remembers that man she once so admired. They had but a brief connection but it meant the world to a young woman just getting her start in the business. If anyone can save George Valentin it is Peppy. With a little help from George's wonderfully cute four-legged friend Jack the dog.
All of this is told so wonderfully and, to modern eyes and ears, so uniquely. Producing this particular story as a silent film was simply ingenious. It's both a love letter to old-time Hollywood and a thoroughly modern film. The film has so many nods to that long-gone era but still works so well for a modern audience. When characters in this film dismiss silent stars as just mugging for the camera it reinforces the point that this film's stars are not doing that. Yes, it's a silent film but unlike any we have ever seen before. And yet with enough of those old silent movie touches to make it a worthy homage. A very delicate balance was required and Hazanavicius created that balance perfectly. Of course it never could have worked without the right cast. What a challenge these performers had, doing something quite unlike anything they had done before. And they all nailed it. Dujardin was simply amazing. Bérénice Bejo, playing Peppy, matched him stride for stride. What a delightful pair they prove to be. James Cromwell gives such a heartfelt performance as Valentin's loyal chauffeur. And as head of Valentin's film studio John Goodman manages to be a loud presence even in complete silence, he's simply perfect for his role. Helped along all the way by a wonderful old-time sounding silent movie score the film gives you comedy, drama, romance. And often does it in ways only a silent movie can, Hazanavicius taking full advantage of his medium. Intertitles are used sparingly but to great effect, most notably in the film's most dramatic moment which so cleverly becomes the film's funniest moment. That great silent movie moment serves as a reminder of what films can be with a little imagination. Hazanavicius had the imagination. And he had the talent to bring his vision to life. It all adds up to a wonderfully unique, incredibly entertaining and supremely charming film.