The Artist

I had the pleasure of seeing the Oscar nominated film, The Artist, this past weekend.  The Artist was something very different than the usual films we see today, but that's what made it enjoyable.  Set in Hollywood of the late 20s, the Artist is a silent, black and white film about two actors who's lives were drastically changed upon the introduction of "talkies" (films with sound) into Hollywood.  It takes place around the span of a few years.  I was a couple minutes late for the film for reasons beyond my control, so I'm not sure exactly what year the film began.  I walked in as a studio was holding auditions for dancers for their next film.  Newbie Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo; been in mostly Spanish movies) gets a minor role, but slowly starts rising to the top by starring in multiple talkies.  Meanwhile, silent film veteran actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin; French films) can't find work and slowly hits rock bottom.

The Artist was nominated for ten Academy Awards;  Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role (Jean Dujardin), Actress in a Supporting Role (Berenice Bejo), Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Best Director, Film Editing, Music (Original Score), and Writing (Original Screenplay).

It's easy what makes this film stand out from its competitors.  It takes you back to a time where unemployment was at its highest, but Hollywood was still finding ways to bring people to the theater.  I've watched a lot of films that have taken place in the past, and this was probably the first time I actually felt transported to a different time.  Everything from the music and costumes to the exotic looking actors (with the exception of John Goodman and a few others I recognized) made me feel like I was actually watching a silent film from the 20s.   I can't wait to see the other nominations for Best Picture so I can start choosing my favorite.  I hope they're all as entertaining.

I think that acting in a silent film is harder than acting in a talking film.  Because you can't use your voice to express feeling and emotion, actors must rely on their body movements and facial expressions to send a message to the audience and tell their story.  Bejo and Dujardin did a great job of being very dramatic and animated that not only were they believable, but the audience could understand them without hearing them.  You have to be pretty talented to be able to pull it off.  As I stated earlier, being actors in foreign films, I didn't recognize them and that helped me believe that I was watching a film made in the 20s.  They both also had that natural beautiful look that is rare in actors today, more often found in actors from that era.  So either one has a chance of winning the Oscar, although I still have other movies to view before I can really compare.

Along those same lines, great acting is normally due to great directing.  The Artist was directed by Michel Hazanavicius who has done only foreign films previously.  With actors and a director who mostly do foreign films, it makes sense that this film is similar to foreign films.  Michel has done a great job of directing his actors to have extreme emotions in their face.  I don't think I'd ever be able to direct actors in a silent film, so for that I believe this is another nomination well deserved.

I think The Artist has a great chance of winning the music category.  I personally loved the score, and without it the film probably wouldn't have been as great.  Musical scores are very important in a movie because the right tempo helps you decide what you should be feeling at that moment during the film.  The music for The Artist did just that, it got me really excited, sad, scared, happy, etc for different scenes.

I loved the fashion of the 1920s.  It was a rebellious time for women, skirts and hair were getting shorter, and heels were getting higher.  I thought the costumes were great and gave me a great feel of what people wore during that era. 

Art Direction and Best Writing are two other awards I think it has a chance of winning.  Although I don't think it's Best Picture material, I think its still worth paying the money to see.