Cast: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller and Missi Pyle
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Ratings: 4.5/5
It has nothing- No Sound, No Colour and certainly NO FLAWS!
By Priyanka Ketkar
Movies have been around for a very long time now and they have no doubt evolved from their primitive state. Although change has proven to be good, Old will always remain Gold. Michel Hazanavicius's The Artist is one such piece of art which will bring back the Golden Age of Silent Films. The film doesn't try to prove anything; it simply and quite magnificently pays a tribute to that bygone era.
Hollywood was not always the way it is right now. There were no VFX's, there were no grand sets, and there was a time when there was no colour and no sound as well. So then how do you call them movies? Well, you absolutely and totally must 'coz they were not just any pretentious movies, they were movies which required great skill and talent as the actors had to convey everything without the help of any dialogues.
One such actor is George Valentin (Jean Dujardin). He is the King of the Silent Era with millions of fans and loads of films lined up. A very proud man and very self-centred that he is, he slowly experiences downfall after the Silent Films' Era passes and the Talkies come into existence. From a star in the sky, George is reduced to mere stardust. His inability to overcome the change in "his films", his crumbling married life, his attraction to the extra Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) and his subsequent self-destruction is what the story is about. But it is neither restricted to being just a tribute to the Silent Era, nor is it simply about a star and his downfall, it is in fact, much more than that... It is also a beautiful love story between two legendary idols of the bygone era. Yes, Peppy Miller doesn't always remain an extra; she tastes a lot of stardom. The Era that brings doom in George's life brings good fortune in Peppy's life. But despite everything they are in love. Love need not always be told on screen... Indeed, it needs no words.
The story might feel cliched, typical or whatever it is that you might want to term it as, but it also feels very real. It is not hard to believe that Jean and Berenice are some great actors of the long-gone era. And obviously, with no sounds and dialogues which we are so used to, the film drags but you will be fine with being dragged along like this.
When it comes to the performances, I have absolutely no words to express how splendid Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo are in the film. Each time Jean Dujardin breaks into a smile, you will also smile back as if that smile was for you and each time Berenice does that "eye-wink" you will look forward to the next time she does that. Although, both of them share less screen time together as compared to their individual appearances, the chemistry they share and the charm they exuberate is almost infectious. The rest of the cast is no less. John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller and Missi Pyle have also done their parts effortlessly. Someone worth a special mention is definitely George's little dog who is always following him like the hutch puppy. He is the most adorable dog ever.
Right from the casting, to the beautiful black & white screen, to the incredible background music, everything spells perfection in The Artist. Even little details like the cars used (e.g.: Ford Model T) in the era or the shoes worn by the ladies (The pumps or the evening shoes) are accurate. So much attention-to-detail is commendable.
For those who have been actual witnesses to the Silent Era might find nothing amusing in this film nevertheless, the efforts put in, the spectacular direction and the very real acting will make them want to appreciate it. For the rest though, it is an almost once-in-a-lifetime experience, a connection to the olden times, a moviemaking spectacle that we are no more used to seeing... Simply put, The Artist is an opportunity for a journey to go back in time.