It’s got everything against it:

1) It’s a silent movie 2) in black and white 3) with no-name lead actors, 4) no special effects, 5) a title that oozes pretension, 6) … and it’s French! And now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has to come along and drive the final nail in the coffin, nominating it for 10 Oscars.

Add up all these ingredients and you have the perfect recipe for the dullest, snootiest movie ever, right? That’s the trouble with selling people on “The Artist.”

Normal, non-pretentious people, that is, who don’t think sitting through a black and white movie is a badge of honor, like an artistic Purple Heart (the snob’s version of “taking one for the team”: watching a long, boring movie so you can tell your friends about it).

And that title?  It should have been called “The Comedian.” Or “The Entertainer.” Anything but “The Artist” (that’s “Artiste” in French — mon Dieu!). (more…)

There are some who doubt filmmakers can still make great movies. They doubt that Hollywood – with its focus on celebrities over substance, computer effects over strong cinematography and stereotypes over stories – can still create classic movies that will resonate for years to come.

“The Artist” should help prove them wrong.

Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin, a successful screen actor in the late 1920s. His facial expressions and his delightful little dog helped him achieve stardom back when the films were black and white and one of the only sounds you heard in the theater were people chewing popcorn behind you. In a wonderful ode to that era, “The Artist” replicates many of the stylistic flourishes of those older films. In an inspired choice that may alienate some viewers, the film is entirely in black and white and features very little dialogue.

Thankfully, two impressive actors were cast to help guide the story.  The main one is Dujardin, who does a wonderful job as the lead character. In the same way that Valentin found fame in the 20s, Dujardin succeeds in conveying his emotions with intense acting and a flair for the camera.

The character, however, isn’t prepared for the major cinematic changes that the world is about to encounter. When he learns that new motion pictures are going to include sound, he rejects the notion, laughing at the indignity of it all. A young actress that Valentin has recently co-starred with named Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) isn’t so quick to write off talkies, so as his career begins to ebb, hers starts to rise. (more…)

This was written by longtime Big Hollywood commenter, Maatkare, who took me up on my offer to review this for us. Those of you already familiar with Maatkare’s smart, insightful comments will see that those qualities translated to this review, as well. – J.N.  

2011 will be remembered as a year where 21st century technology is kicked to the curb by a silent movie made by a bunch of Frenchmen.

Director Michel Hazanavicius has planted a warm, wet, kiss on the cheek of cinema with his masterpiece “The Artist,” a loving homage to the Hollywood Of Old that wears its heart on its sleeve proudly and unashamedly. It’s the story of silent film star George Valentin (French star Jean Dujardin, with Douglas Fairbanks mustache and devil-may-care charisma and blinding grin), whose star is falling as surely as his love interest Peppy Miller’s (Bérénice Bejo) is rising, while Hollywood transitions to sound. It’s an equal helping of “Singin’ in the Rain” mixed with “A Star Is Born.” And while you needn’t be a movie buff (or snob) to appreciate the many references to classic cinema, those who’ve invested time with TCM will be delighted with the many winks to classic films we know and love.

—–

And yet, the movie transcends mere pastiche. In one scene, Bejo wistfully interacts with Valentin’s empty tailcoat in the most chaste yet erotic movie moment in recent memory. In another, Bejo luminously ascends a flight of stairs clad in white as Valentin descends, dressed in somber gray, in the iconic Bradbury Building (seen in “Blade Runner” and many more), a perfect melding of themes and production design.

The movie will sweep you under its spell before the period-perfect art deco credits are over, and by the time you realize it’s played you for a grade-A sap, you’ll be grateful, even as you dab your damp cheeks. Solid support is given by John Goodman as the requisite gruff studio head, and James Cromwell as the faithful chauffer.

Special attention must be given to Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier, in the finest canine performance since Toto (and that includes you, Asta).

(more…)

The Academy Awards for 2008 have been handed out, and the “popular kids” have Oscars on their mantles, but the dirty little secret about winning awards is that you’ve gotta campaign for them. Thousands of dollars were spent by the distributors and filmmakers behind Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Milk (Focus Features), The Reader (Weinstein) and other assorted winners and nominees, but not all performances received that sort of big money backing.

I am an unabashed lover of the acting craft. I see virtually every movie, large and small, that passes through the US marketplace, and, taking nothing away from Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz and Heath Ledger, not all of 2008’s best performances have been recognized. I’m not going to be obvious here. Clint Eastwood was snubbed for Gran Torino, but he received lots of acclaim for the role including being named Best Actor by the National Board of Review. My goal is to highlight 10 performances from last year that have received virtually no acclaim in the US. Many of these roles can be found in hardly-seen, under-appreciated movies that came and went without much notice. Each and every one of these movies deserve a spot in your Netflix (or Blockbuster) cue. (more…)