Almost within minutes of it starting, I realised two things about The Artist: 1) I had seen every bit of it before in many other movies, and 2) I will adore it all the same. The Artist is basically a carbon copy of Singing In The Rain, both in terms of plot and characterisation. Heck, it is the same basic plot from Wimbledon, though I would be paying The Artist an insult with the comparison.
Though we've seen this sort of romantic comedy format played out many times before, this film gets away with it. Maybe it is the charm of the characters; perfect pastiches of the happy, go lucky stars with infectious, heart warming smiles on their faces. Or perhaps it is the beautiful cinematography, which manages to convey a huge amount of information despite the absence of sound. It's probably both.
On the subject of silence, the film uses it to its advantage throughout. The silence mirrors the protagonist's character, literally in the sense that he refuses (or is unable) to voice act, and metaphorically in the sense that he is can't (or won't) communicate his feelings. Meanwhile, though the film manages to create a perfect pastiche of silent era movies, it isn't afraid to do its own thing and employ a more modern, cunning take on the medium. There is a marked difference between the mugging movie characters, and the subtle expressions of the actors who play them.
If I have any problem with the movie, it would be with the pacing. In screen-writing terms, there is a moment in the second act called "Plot Point Two", wherein the hero is at their lowest. Once the character manages to overcome their despair, they surge on to the big climax and finale. In The Artist, plot point two occurs halfway through the film, and we are forced to wait an age for the climax. When the climax finally does come, it is basically the exact same scene as the one that occurred at plot point two. It makes the film feel longer than it needs to be, and I don't understand why they didn't just condense the two scenes into one.
People have dismissed The Artist as Oscar Bait. Though that's probably true, it is totally irrelevant. Ignore such childish cynicism and go see this film. Go see this film!
Silence is Golden (oh, give me a break)
Almost within minutes of it starting, I realised two things about The Artist: 1) I had seen every bit of it before in many other movies, and 2) I will adore it all the same. The Artist is basically a carbon copy of Singing In The Rain, both in terms of plot and characterisation. Heck, it is the same basic plot from Wimbledon, though I would be paying The Artist an insult with the comparison.
Though we've seen this sort of romantic comedy format played out many times before, this film gets away with it. Maybe it is the charm of the characters; perfect pastiches of the happy, go lucky stars with infectious, heart warming smiles on their faces. Or perhaps it is the beautiful cinematography, which manages to convey a huge amount of information despite the absence of sound. It's probably both.
On the subject of silence, the film uses it to its advantage throughout. The silence mirrors the protagonist's character, literally in the sense that he refuses (or is unable) to voice act, and metaphorically in the sense that he is can't (or won't) communicate his feelings. Meanwhile, though the film manages to create a perfect pastiche of silent era movies, it isn't afraid to do its own thing and employ a more modern, cunning take on the medium. There is a marked difference between the mugging movie characters, and the subtle expressions of the actors who play them.
If I have any problem with the movie, it would be with the pacing. In screen-writing terms, there is a moment in the second act called "Plot Point Two", wherein the hero is at their lowest. Once the character manages to overcome their despair, they surge on to the big climax and finale. In The Artist, plot point two occurs halfway through the film, and we are forced to wait an age for the climax. When the climax finally does come, it is basically the exact same scene as the one that occurred at plot point two. It makes the film feel longer than it needs to be, and I don't understand why they didn't just condense the two scenes into one.
People have dismissed The Artist as Oscar Bait. Though that's probably true, it is totally irrelevant. Ignore such childish cynicism and go see this film. Go see this film!