a technical feat with an overused plot

Rating: 6/10 (3 February 2012)

We have seen this story lots of time: A Star is Born. So the director decided to do it as a silent movie. The performances are very good and Dujardin is amazing. The actors are so good that there is almost no need for dialogue and you know both in terms of plot and emotion what is going on without explanation. As a technical feat, this silent film is 10 stars, but you need to tell a story with depth as well. Dujardin does practically all the heavy lifting in this movie, but I just never got caught up in the drama of his descent or in Peppy's attempts to save him. I just felt like paint by numbers (maybe that's why silent pictures died).
So enjoy the craft of the actors, the feel of Hollywood as it transitions from silent to talkies, but not a great movie. Again Dujardin deserves an Oscar nomination.