The Artist

I have unfortunately fallen very far behind with movies lately.  When the Oscars came around I didn't even recognize half the names on the list, so I'm at least trying to get back in the habit of watching them.  And what better way to start than with the best picture winner?

Undoubtedly everyone already knows what The Artist is about so I'll keep this short. The film is an homage to the silent films of old, set in the late 1920s and centered on the famous silent actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin).  It mostly follows his relationship with Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), a chorus girl who he accidentally makes famous and falls for despite his being married, as well as his downfall thanks to the advent of talkies.  There's ups and downs and everything in-between until George finally gets one more chance to rise from the ashes.

It was really a fascinating film to watch, as it meticulously drew the line between modern filmmaking and the old silent style.  It was a brilliant homage to its source while also standing on its own.  The acting was marvelous, especially from Dujardin who could make you laugh in one second and cry at the next.  Everything came together to create a wonderful experience to watch.

However, there was one problem I had with it.  With a running time of 1 hour 40 minutes it's hard to believe I'm saying it, but it was too long.  They probably could have chopped the last 20-30 minutes or so and been totally fine.  It was obvious where it was going towards the end, and they just took too long getting there.  Honestly it just kind of felt like padding put in there because it's hard enough to sell a silent movie these days, let alone one that's only a little over an hour.  It still served, it's not like it ruined the movie, but it did kind of detract from the impact of the end.

So overall I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the film, despite how it seemed to linger longer than it needed to.  Would I call it the best picture of the year?  Well it's hard to say without seeing the other contenders but while I enjoyed it, I certainly wouldn't rank it as the best of the best.  I commend it for taking a risk and managing to be a silent film that's just as entertaining as anything else put out these days, but the best?  That remains to be seen.

The Artist gets a 9/10.