Eye-poppingly unbelievable.

Rating: 10/10 (24 December 2011)

I was originally going to see THE MUPPETS today with my brother, but it wasn't playing due to changes with the digital projection. He wanted to see SHERLOCK HOLMES 2, but I wanted to see THE ARTIST. In the end he agreed and my brother watched SHERLOCK HOLMES 2 and I watched THE ARTIST.
In a time where we are bombarded with movies that exploit subjects like 9-11, the war on terror or the financial crisis. Or sequels, remakes, reboots, re-imaginings or adaptations of cartoons, TV Shows, and comic books (ad nauseum). This one is original and is a throwback to the classic movies of the 1920's and 30's. It is one of those movies that takes you back to the good old days when there was fun and originality. It is good clean fun (except for one scene where there's an obscene finger gesture that was shown briefly). It is about George Valentin, a silent movie actor, who has now been washed up because of sound and the woman who admired him named Peppy Miller. We see him in the peak of his fame to his downfall and comeback.
It is a feel good movie. I highly recommend it. If you enjoy that film, then I recommend another movie, CALL OF THE CTHULHU (2005). Because it is made in the style of a silent movie and the special effects are done with stop-motion animation.
Rated PG-13 for some disturbing images and one obscene finger gesture. But it is worth watching.
Twas Charlton Heston in THE OMEGA MAN who said, "They don't make pictures the way they used to." Guess again. If you think Hollywood is the only one that is cooking up retro-style movies, so are independent filmmakers.