3 more reviews

1. ›"The Artist" by Michel Hazanavicius - movie review@godflesh2870d

   It is a delusional feeling that the past is a reality that we live in a dream, and everything that happens on the screen is ... a projection of some moving images in front of a beam of light that are so painfully real that they just pierce the heart. You dive into them, you get drunk from them, you are erasing like a rubber - just a painted hero is left, and only your thoughts remain, your gaze, the pure consciousness that absorbs the image from the screen.

   

   Yes. This is how Chaplin's absolutely brilliant masterpieces work. And if it sounds like sacrilege - "The Artist" shows me that it has the same qualities. Who in the 21st century will dare to make a dumb movie? Who will rely on black and white styling? Who is this crazy director who will wind up his actors literally back into the past to draw inspiration and revive those strange, close and great images we meet in "The Artist"? Well, as long as there are rhetorical questions - there are such people, they love provocations, they are not afraid of risks and here they have created one of the most discussed films of 2011. I can swear that Jean Dujardin 's smile has become his trademark and Michel Hazanavicius most exploits this fact. As early as 2006 and 2009, when he directs the two funny things in which Jean Dujardin is a seductive charisma of the collecting spy image, Hazanavicius allows his main character to cast a radiant charm - and in time he appears to have an asset he can use . The true fans of the Jean Dujardin would not miss a project, no matter how unusual, but come into the world of Artist, they will be fascinated.

   Because it's natural, with a very familiar and yet intriguing storyline, because it's unexpected as a solution and like ... everything, and because it's ... real cinema. From that genre / kind that imperceptibly turns into a classic. If the association with "Singing in the Rain" occurs incidentally, then it's rejecting it as a signal and inaccurate. The star of the silent cinema George Valentin. Enjoys the adoration of his admirers until the day when "the speakers" films shift the focus of attention. It is at this point that one of his fans, who stood on the set as a stunt and succeeded in provoking the star's interest, received advice from him - "Be different and fight!" The time of glory passes inexorably after being forced to literally the whole life Valentin is ruined, desperate, frustrated by the world. His tireless admirer, herself on the stellar actor's gloom, puts her hand in the abyss for years, generations and stage experiences to save him from self-destruction with ... dance. The two come in with a synchronous, fascinating step in the sound recorder, and ... you wait for the final captions to expire because you do not want the movie to end.

   

   And viewers earn a lot! Acting performances by Jean Dujardin and wife of director Bérénice Bejo are at the height of the presence that the viewers donated tens of years ago to the star of the silent cinema era. John Goodman has been entrusted with the role of the producer-maker, natural and charming, as he has always been, and the little dog-creature, who is an important partner on the screen and in Valentine's life, is remarkably clever, well-educated, and immaculate. Where do I find a flaw - in the refined lighting, in the exact image of the age and scene, in the costume details, the buckles, the hats, the steering wheels ...

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2. ›The Artist - Movie Review@coldsteem3200d

   

   Make no mistake about The Artist…this film was conceived and developed to win awards.  As I watched this film, I couldn't help but muse about the process that went into the development of a film designed with the Oscars in mind.  At the same time, I became engrossed in the intricacies of this film.  Knowing that this film was designed to win awards does not lower my opinion of it.  The Artist may very well have been the best film I watched in 2011.

   

   The Artist is a film that tips its hat to the “Golden Era” of film.  The film uses a brilliant combination of musical soundtrack, sound and dialogue panels (intertitles) to present a silent film that celebrates the medium.  The cinematic quality of this film encompasses high definition black and white, carefully orchestrated instrumentals and some cheeky sound elements that highlight the changing times in an era when the “talkies” ushered in a new generation of talent.  Throw in awesome characters and an incredible canine, and you have an instant classic.  This film has a story, but it is almost secondary to the art?  The story was strong, but the mechanical aspects of this film were brilliant. It's a "love letter" to the era.

   

   When it comes to film, I tend to complain about style over substance, so I guess I need to address the actual story.  After watching the trailers, I figured I already knew the whole story.  My biggest fault with this film is that they gave away too much of the plot during the trailers.  However, they saved some of the good stuff and the story ended up being much better than the trailers indicated.  It is a story of Hollywood’s early “changing of the guard.”

   George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is King of the Silver Screen.  His silent films are action-packed adventures that are accompanied by a live orchestra.  Valentin is larger than life, with an ego that thrives on attention.  His pride is evident as he hams it up at the premiere of his latest film.  After the debut, the actor bumps into a young fan and turns the encounter into more personal publicity.  The fan, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), is inspired by her encounter to audition with Valentin’s studio.  Valentin has an odd chemistry with the aspiring actress and provides her the tip that sets her apart from the other actresses.

   

   As Peppy rises to stardom, the movie industry moves from silent film to talkies.  In the process, legends like Valentin are left behind.  Throw in the stock market crash and Valentin is quickly “washed up,” his pride preventing him from appreciating the good deeds that are done on his behalf.  As Valentin struggles with his own failure to adapt, Peppy never forgets where she came from.  The pair will continue to cross paths as each find they are connected to the other.  And that’s a wrap.

   Prior to screening this film, I sort of felt this film would be an artsy film designed to win awards with style, while lacking substance.  I was very wrong on that point.  The Artist gives us engaging characters that manage to reach past their inability to speak directly to us and still create a connection.  I found that I actually cared about the characters (especially the dog).  The presentation was unique enough to further enhance the story.  What the story lacked in punch, it made up for in nostalgic drama and comedic timing that was impeccable.   The lack of speaking was overcome with sparingly placed intertitles and a soundtrack that informed the story.  I was amazed at how carefully timed the soundtrack was to allow a full complement to the story.  The integration of the parts was flawless, making this film nothing short of cinematic magic.

   

   I enjoyed the performances, which included smaller parts by John Goodman, who plays crotchety Director Al Zimmer.  James Cromwell adds an interesting dimension as Valentin’s loyal driver, Clifton.  But this film hinges on the performances of Dujardin and Bejo.  To convey an innocent chemistry between the pair without dialogue did not seem to challenge them.  They both gave convincing performances that almost felt like either actor could walk off the screen at any moment.  The performances conveyed incredible details with minimal dialogue.  The performances, like the music and cinematography were flawless.  Every detail of this film seemed carefully crafted to perfection.

   

   I was mesmerized by The Artist.  The visual aspects of this film alone set it apart from anything else produced by Hollywood in 2011.  While I enjoyed the film references in Hugo, The Artist goes beyond reference, enveloping the audience in the medium of silent film.  I cannot imagine how this film could have been made any better.  The soundtrack was carefully synced to the action and provided much of the intensity throughout the film, often substituting for placards with dialogue.  I was relieved to see that they used the dialogue boxes sparingly, allowing the performances and music to tell the story.  Every aspect of this film, from editing to music to performances, was exceptional.  This film was nominated for nearly 200 awards. Ten of them Oscars, with five wins (to include Best Motion Picture). None of that is surprising to me. If you haven't seen this film, find it streaming and rent it. 9.5/10.

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3. ›Movie review : THE ARTIST [Michel Hazanavicius, 2011]@mandibil3360d

   Boy. A silent movie in 2011 and even an Oscar winner for best movie and 4 other categories. This is something of a feat in the age of CGI and big budget sound and image bombardment. I am always suspecting of movies receiving oscars, it may be deserved but usually I do not agree with the choices, and this is not only because it is mainly american movies. It seems that once in a while movies are made that is sharpened to go exactly after Oscar statues, by selecting plots, themes or sentimental effects that usually garners statues. But this one seem to be so much out in left field, that there must be something special that carries it through.

   

   We are transferred back to the era of the silent movies in the roaring twenties, just at cusp of entry of the talkies ... the movies with synced, integrated sound. George Valentin is a Douglas Fairbanks/Gene Kelly type filmstar, who is very much in love with himself and his own image as a filmstar. He does have a larger than life attitude and his filmhero alter ego is accompanied by a dog, that is also his real life companion. He seems to have a romantic and soft side that does not really get any release in the golddigger marriage he is living in.

   

   Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) is an ambitious and fresh faced, modern dancer, who by accident is "discovered" by Valentin and they strike a mix of friendship and potential love affair. But she is focused on taking care of her growing career while Valentin, sure of his mega-star status and invincibility, takes life as it comes and keeps his superficial distance to everyone in his vicinity. What he does not see is that the new technology with sound in movies is going to be the new hot thing and potentially make him obsolete in the business, since he relies completely on the "old" format and has no training or interest in speaking to his audience. This was a big problem for many a big silent star, and some even ended their life when they found themselves out of work in a few short years.

   

   While Miller gets better and better jobs in the new sound world, Valentin slides more and more into oblivion stubbornly denying that his "work" has no interest for the future of moviegoing. He loses his wife, his butler he has to sack and auction away his furniture and art and so on. He is on a unwilling character suicide. At the same time Miller has become the greatest talkies star of the day.

   

   The roles are switched. The age of talking girls has made the age of action men obsolete. This is a very clear metaphor in my opinion. As long as there were no talking in movies, men always had the upper hand since they are the physical characters and the women only can faint or cry, to simplify things. Now male limitations in oratorical abilities can be duped by same better female abilities and at the same time as feminism and the kickstart of gynocentrism in statism and culture can set in, women get talking pictures.

   

   Valentin ends up basically on the edge of suicide all alone, only to be saved by the girl he "found" when he himself was the star and she was the unknown. She supports him in the left effort to get him back in business and they end up as a parallel to Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.

   

   The director chose to set the movie all in silence until the end when Valentin enters the talkies. The picture ratio has even been set to the 4:3 of the olden days. Now it is clear that the purpose of the movie is to reminisce over and send some praise to some of the virtues of the movie-making of a nearly forgotten era. I can only praise that idea, but the problem with "The Artist" is that it is kept in a sarcastic and superficial tone all through. The clichés and the stereotypes are just too thick and the effects too thin to really be an homage with the risk of becoming a joke instead. The plot is not really more than an excuse to make the film and the story is too simple and two-dimensional to be of any real interest. I can see why the academy would want to throw statues at it, because otherwise they might look like they cannot see the homage and at the same time they can polish their image of movie enthusiasts of sorts by showing "interest" in old style movie making also. This is not a great movie in the 5 Oscars sense. It is good fun and gives a likable view of days gone by, but not much more.

   Rating : 6/10

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