The Artist is one of those films that makes you remember exactly why you enjoy movies. I know that is strong praise for a film that is getting a lot of award season buzz and all those other cute phrases people like to throw around but its true. This is a truly amazing film not just for the acting but the fact that it is a silent film made in 2011 that takes place between 1927 - 1932. I saw this movie twice this weekend. Once at The
Arclight in Hollywood and the second at
The Westside Pavilion. I’ve only seen a movie more than once in a theater four times in my life and I’m glad this is one of them.
The movie stars
Jean Dujardin as George Valentin, a silent film superstar who along with his dog films theaters with his performances on screen. After the premiere of his latest film while taking interviews and meeting fans he literally bumps into
Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller. He hams I up with her until she smiles for the photographers and plants a kiss on his cheek. His wife is not impressed when she sees the photo with the words “
Who’s That Girl?” on the front of
Variety. She heads to
Hollywoodland and gets an audition as a dancer and lands a part in George’s next film.
John Goodman stars as producer Al Zimmer. He does not like Peppy since her headline knocked the review of the latest movie back a few pages. He breaks down and allows her to be in the film. Their chemistry in the movie (
and the movie within the movie) is palpable. Even George’s driver Clifton played by
James Cromwell sees it. Meanwhile at home George’s marriage continues to fall apart. There is a montage that shows that every day he and his wife have dinner they barely acknowledge each other.
While shooting another film Zimmer shows George a screen test featuring sound. George laughs it off as he is told that sound is the future. He says “
If that’s the future you can have it.” He believes that sound in film will never catch on. While arriving to work he finds out that his company is making nothing but films with sound and he decides to quit just as Peppy joins. She has been quickly becoming a star in her own right especially after he adds a beauty mark to her face to separate her from the rest of the other actresses. During an interview at a restaurant she says that silent film is dying and that it is time to pave the way for the next generation. George overhears this and is offended. Her star rises with her new film that debuts the same night as his latest silent film. The stock market crash kills his career and he is close to homeless. He begins to spend most of his time drinking and selling his items and memorabilia to buy more liquor.
I don’t want to spoil any more of the movie for those who have not seen it. But this is truly a great film with a level of creativity that is not seen that often anymore. The bravery it takes to make a silent film starring an actor and actress that are not well known in America in 2011. Having a dog that is not computer generated and does not talk be pretty much a second co-star. Showing that back in the 20’s and 30’s stars made more films in a year than many actors now make in a decade. The chew them up and spit them out mentality that existed back then. This made me happy each time I saw it and I would watch this again and own it on DVD just to smile when I felt down.
3 comments:
I am even more excited for this movie now. I'm almost counting down the days, I've heard so many cool things about it. They took so many chances with it being silent, b&w and casting actors unknown in the US because it's a French/Belgian production meant for the European market more than the American one - I guess you couldn't make that kind of movie in America, or at least you wouldn't get any financial backing. I don't think they even expect it to make much money in the US, from what I've heard from interviews with the director, it's opened in the US purely to be eligible for the Oscar. You're so lucky to have access to that kind of thing. And I love John Goodman as an actor, can't wait to see him in a non-Coen brothers movie which takes him seriously, for a change.
See it as son as you can. Also, if you wanna see John Goodman in a serious non Coen role watch Red State. Its available online and for purchase. He plays an FBI agent. Very cool film.
I missed Red State in the cinema, I didn't know John Goodman was in it. Such a pity his size goes against him getting cast in more films.
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