Film Review: The Artist

The Artist. Rated PG (mild themes). 100 minutes. Written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius.

Verdict: This little film’s Oscar haul is totally deserved as the rules of contemporary motion picture production are rewritten.

With the release of Warner Bros.’ The Jazz Singer (1927) starring Al Jolson and Lights of New York (1928), the era of silent film in Hollywood began an irreversible decline. Honoured, respectively, as the first feature-length ‘part-talkie’ and ‘talkie’, these two films heralded the arrival of synchronised dialogue and images – and by 1929, Hollywood was no longer producing silent films.

Any reservations about the extent to which a black and white, almost entirely silent film would rate against the kind of movies we are more used to seeing these days, instantly vanished. With his affectionate pastiche on the end of Hollywood’s celebrated silent era, Mr Hazanavicius delivers an extraordinarily involving, richly rewarding and complete cinematic experience.

It is 1927, and silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is at the peak of his illustrious career. When he inadvertently meets the young, ambitious, aspiring movie star Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), the pair’s increasingly obsessive love affair is further complicated by the meteoric rise of Peppy’s career in ‘talkies’ and the demise of Valentin’s – who refuses to participate in the new style of movie-making.

From the first frame, The Artist is obviously going to be a rare and unique, almost entirely silent experience – and as a result of the immense creativity, passion and skill from all involved – it becomes a captivating experience. Ludovic Bource’s (mostly) original score works magnificently to accompany the big romance-fuelled story, while movie buffs will have a ball recognising the familiar scenes (such as one from Citizen Kane) that have obviously served as creative inspiration for Mr Hazanavicius.

Superbly photographed by cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist makes the most of Mark Bridges’ beautiful costume design and Laurence Bennett’s imaginative production design, while the editing (Anne-Sophie Bion and Mr Hazanavicius) cleverly replicates the ragged, crackling pace of films from the silent era.

The performances are exceptional, with Mr Dujardin and Ms Bejo (pictured) in particular, outstanding in their complex roles. They are beautifully supported by James Cromwell (Babe) as George’s devoted servant and chauffeur Clifton, John Goodman (Roseanne, The Big Lebowski) as studio head Al Zimmer, and Penelope Ann Miller as George’s wife Doris.

But it is Uggie, George’s loyal little dog, who is a scene-stealer – and who, no doubt, will have you up on your feet and cheering for the immense heart, soul and determined spirit of this simply brilliant film.

This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspaper Group.