A love letter to cinema, The Artist is an almost-silent film set at the end of an era. The movie begins in 1927, as silent films are on the wane and talkies are all the rage.
A matinee idol (Jean Dujardin) named George Valentin is busy enjoying his fame when a female fan bumps into him by mistake. She laughs and mugs for the camera; a star is born. She (Berenice Bejo) is Peppy Miller, a young hopeful who finds her way into pictures. Starting as a dancer in the background, Peppy slowly begins a climb to the top of the movie business. Her ascent is mirrored by George's decline, as his refusal to appear in talkies means his demise as a movie star.
George and Peppy are attracted to each other right from the beginning. This complicates matters as he is already married to Doris (Penelope Ann Miller), unhappy though that union might be. Furthermore, the big producer Al Zimmer (John Goodman) sees Peppy as a distraction, and fires her from her first movie.
It doesn't matter. As is underlined in a later scene when Peppy runs up a flight of stairs just as George walks down another, this girl is on her way up.
The early scenes between George and Peppy are flirtatious, funny and exhilarating to watch. It's all snappy visuals, expressive acting and a good yarn, and this portion of The Artist captures everything that makes movie-going a pleasure.
On with the show. By 1931, Peppy is a star. George is a has-been. What happens next is high drama and low despair, and it's all about the indomitable human spirit. With some dancing. And a bit too much schmaltz.
The Artist drags a bit near the end but it's otherwise a delight. The performances, as they are without dialogue, are impressive (and endearing). The cast includes Malcolm MacDowell and James Cromwell; one of the highlights of the film is Uggy, the little dog who follows George everywhere he goes. The adorable canine won the Palm Dog Award at Cannes this year, a prize given for best dog performance at the festival.
The Artist is a witty little confection, bound to please but not necessarily to linger in the mind. Nonetheless, the film has become a big awards winner, starting with a best actor award at Cannes for Jean Dujardin and a Palme d'Or nomination for director Michel Hazanavicius.
The Artist has taken home trophies from many of the film festivals where it has played, and it won best film and best director recently at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.
