4.5 Stars Out of 5 Stars
Picture this: It is 1927 in Hollywood. Audiences cannot get enough of silent movie star, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), who is a household name in the film industry. However, as the glitz and glamour of talking pictures — or “talkies” — begin to captivate audiences in the late 1920s, Valentin questions if he will fade into obscurity as quickly as he rose to fame.
This setting provides the backdrop for the Michel Hazanavicus film, The Artist. The story is almost like any other; there is a distinct beginning, middle and end, a well-rounded plot and developed characters. There is only one catch, true to its plot, the film was produced in black-and-white and is mostly silent. There is no dialogue, only the musical score can be heard in the background.
The movie opens with Valentin attending the premiere of his latest film, A Russian Affair. A large crowd of fans and the paparazzi wait outside the theater to greet him. Amid the crowd is Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a young woman who is an admirer of Valentin. Suddenly, Miller drops her notebook and Valentin graciously picks it up for her, making a huge spectacle out of it for the nearby photographers. One thing leads to another and Miller finds herself on the front page of Variety the next day posed next to Valentin with the headline “Who’s That Girl”? When Miller later auditions to be a dancer, Valentin insists that she have a part in the studio’s next film. With help from Valentin, Miller slowly rises through the ranks of Hollywood, earning more and more prominent roles along the way. Other characters include the studio boss Al Zimmer (John Goodman), Valentin’s chauffer Clifton (James Cromwell) and Valentin’s wife Doris (Penelope Ann Miller).
At first I was a bit skeptical as to how the film would pull the whole “no talking” thing off. Was I going to be able to follow the plot line? Will the story even hold my attention? The idea of dialogue in a movie was so deeply ingrained in my mind, I was not sure if I was going to like the film.
As I watched the movie, my doubts completely went away. Not only did I enjoy The Artist, I almost wish more films had little or no dialogue in them. Because the actors did not have their voices, they had to convey the story purely through their acting alone, which made the movie enjoyable and interesting to watch. In addition, the fact that it was silent and shot in black-and-white allowed me to be transported back through time when the setting of the movie took place.
If you are looking to see a movie that will captivate you and take you back in time to Hollywood in the “roaring twenties”, The Artist will not disappoint.
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