The Artist (Movie Review)

Are you sure no one pressed mute on the audio system when the movie was playing? Wait, are you telling me this is a brand new silent film for 2011? These are questions I’m sure some asked when they saw the trailer to The Artist, a newly created silent film for the modern era.

Cooked in the tradition of Douglas Fairbanks’ films, this homage to yesteryear could bring home the Oscar for Best Picture. At least it has legs to compete for it. But does it deserve the win? In my opinion, no.

A Risky Gamble on Hollywood’s Silent Past

But before I get into the reasons it won’t win, it’s good to know what this movie is all about. Set during the twilight of Hollywood’s silent era, The Artist tells the story of a charismatic movie star unhappily confronting the new world of talking pictures. The year is 1927, Hollywood.

George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is one of Hollywood’s reigning silent screen idols, instantly recognizable with his slim moustache and signature white tie and tails. Starring in exotic tales of intrigue and derring-do, the actor has turned out hit after hit for Kinograph. The studio is run by cigar-chomping mogul Al Zimmer (John Goodman).

His success has brought him an elegant mansion and an equally elegant wife, Doris (Penelope Ann Miller). Chauffeured to the studio each day by his devoted driver Clifton (James Cromwell), George is greeted by his own smiling image. He is a man indistinguishable from his persona and a star secure in his future.

For young dancer Peppy Miller (Latina actress Bérénice Bejo), the future will be what she makes of it. Vivacious and good-humored, Peppy first crosses George’s path at his film premiere and then as an extra on his latest film at Kinograph. As they film a brief dance sequence, the leading man and the newcomer fall into a natural rhythm.

But the day must finally end, sending the matinee idol and the eager hopeful back to their respective places on the Hollywood ladder. Hollywood itself will soon fall under the sway of a captivating new starlet: talking pictures. George wants no part of the new technology, scorning the talkie as a vulgar fad destined for the dustbin.

By 1929, Kinograph is preparing to cease all silent film production. George faces a choice: embrace sound, like the rising young star Peppy Miller, or risk a slide into obscurity. It is a classic conflict of old versus new.

Is Novelty Enough to Win Best Picture?

I will give credit to French director Michel Hazanavicius for bringing back an obsolete format. Known internationally for the spy spoof comedies OSS 117 also starring Jean Dujardin, he has created an exceptional and refreshing piece of cinema. But ultimately, the principal reason it won’t win Best Picture is because his screenplay wasn’t enthralling.

It was a good predictable story without enough pounce to place it in a league of its own. If one were to compare this film against the preeminent work of the era, it will pale in comparison. After the first half hour, the novelty wears off and you’re hoping for a contemporary twist.

You expect it to reach deeper than Chaplin’s The Kid or be funnier than Keaton’s The General, but it never reaches those heights. Compared against today’s Hollywood fare, The Artist has a much better chance to be a heavyweight contender. But can you really give the Best Picture prize to a film just on novelty?

I would hate to think the Oscar committee is that easy. The Best Picture of the year has to be a movie that excels in every single aspect of its process. One that is indubitably the preeminent work of the year.

Does The Artist really stand above the rest? In my opinion, no. At the time of writing this review, I have yet to see War Horse, The Iron Lady, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Those might end up being disappointments, but I expect the best will come out of those three.

The Irresistible Charm of Jean Dujardin

Where the film has strength is in the acting of its protagonist Jean Dujardin. He is one of the most charming men I’ve seen on screen. He is a lock for a Best Actor nomination, and even a win.

Regrettably, his co-star Bérenice Bejo has much to be desired. Even Uggie the Dog was wonderful. Hazanavicius should be rewarded with a directorial nomination since pulling off a film of this magnitude couldn’t have been easy.

Then we must look at Guillaume Schiffman’s cinematographer work, which is some of the finest of 2011. The experience of watching this film begins with frantic curiosity. Then comes a battle of patience as one slowly goes into a period of adjustment due to the lack of dialogue.

The Artist is a sensorial film. The fact that there is no text brings you back to a basic way of telling a story that only works on feelings. It can be very rewarding for those in search of something unusual.

The Artist is a real good mix of comedy, romance, and melodrama. But could its most distinctive attribute be a message that the past still provides better cinema than today’s best 3D offerings? A win will surely leave more than one studio executive lurching in utter silence.