Heartfelt History with an Eternally Pertinent Theme

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2013)

An excellent, caring, deeply nostalgic look at the changing of the guard in 1930s Hollywood. Though the primary narrative focuses on the shift from silent film to full-blown "talkies," The Artist serves as metaphor for so much more. Truly, every generation endures this brand of major tidal shift, with the forward-thinkers rewarded for their daring while those set in their ways are swiftly discarded and forgotten. Presented as a silent film itself, the production delights in toying with its audience, no sooner establishing its own rules before testing and bending them. While the cue cards and light accompanying score are, initially, something of a distraction, as the film moves along it becomes remarkable just how restrained and appropriate they both become. Perhaps my greatest surprise wasn't that nothing was said, but that nothing needed to be. Costars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, both duly recognized by the academy for their roles, spill chapters with their bodies, expertly overcoming the potential handicap of the format and running full-bore with the premise. They sparkle, both together and apart, in two very different roles, and are essential players in nudging the finished product from "good idea" to "borderline classic."