Review of The Artist (2011) by Jollyg87 — 10 Jan 2012
Stylistically, "The Artist" is exquisite. Director Michel Hazanavicius wields the camera like a magician treating us to one delightful shot after another. It was wonderful to see all of the creativity that went in to every single moment.
The story isn't bad either. There where quite a few moments where I had a big open faced smile and a case of the chuckles. But mostly, those chuckles came because of the talented cast. Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo perfectly portray their characters, Dujardin a struggling silent film actor, and Bejo a hot celebrity rising to the top after the invention of talkies.
Together, they radiate chemistry and always keep the movie hopping along even during the unhappiest of times. The only drawback for me was the running time. With a story so familiar, I felt like about 10 minutes of the movie should have been cut particularly when Dujardin is going through the rough times in his life.
I know that the familiar story is part of the "silent movie" style in itself, and I also know that many other viewers found the storyline to be enchanting. But for me, I was never swept up in the magic.
It started to build for me in the beginning, but it sunk in the middle as I waited for Dujardin to recover and make it back on top for the eventual happy ending. Still, "The Artist" is an expertly handled exercise in style.
If you can find the substance as well as the style, you will absolutely love it. But if you're like me, and you only enjoyed the creativity of the storytelling, you won't love it, but there will be plenty to excite you.
This review of The Artist (2011) was written by Jollyg87 on 10 Jan 2012.
The Artist has generally received very positive reviews.
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