The Artist (2012)

DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius
STUDIO: Studio 37
STARRING: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Comedy, Drama, Romance

GRADE: A


Ever since I've been interesting in the art of film, not just the entertainment value, I have appreciated the silent era. I loved the period of song and dance and the type of humor they had back then. "The Artist" is a tribute to that time.

Specifically, "The Artist" is about a famous silent film star, George Valentin (Dujardin) and an upcoming actress Peppy Miller (Bejo). They meet in the mid-20s, and when the talkies start becoming more prominent, they meet again, only their career paths are very different. Peppy strives in the talking movies, while George Valentin refuses to accept it.

There are so many little things about this film that I love. There's a scene where Peppy is practicing tapping, but you can only see her feet because of a screen, and then George steps in to accompany her dancing, and then both do a sequence of steps in sync. While most movie-goers would see that scene as cute, anyone who studies the silent movies knows that sequences like that are the main gags in that era. This is just one example of how the movie appeals to modern-day viewers and film historians.

Jean Dujardin has a feel of Cary Grant, Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart wrapped into one. He just has a screen presence that was so vital in the 20s, and he captures his character. He deserves the Oscar completely. Many critics complain that Bejo did not look like the movie stars back then, and while that may be true, she acted so well that it did not bother me. I prefer to have a more talented actress that does not exactly look the part then vice versa.

My one complaint is that it is too long. The story drags on a parts, and becomes predictable. Plus, most silent films were only about 20 minutes long, so a movie almost two-hours seems a bit of a stretch - especially for modern-day film-goers. I think if it was at about 75 or 80 minutes, this movie would have been nearly flawless.

Overall, a fantastic film and whether or not you know/appreciate the era, it is a wonderful story with wonderful actors.