96% The Artist

An instant classic, THE ARTIST is a joy from beginning to end. A silent love letter to the early days of cinema, this masterpiece uses sound or the lack thereof in such imaginative ways, has completely charming performances by its leads, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, and has the precise look and feel of a film made in the 1920's. Back in the 70s, Mel Brooks spoofed the silent era with SILENT MOVIE, and there are many similarities here, although THE ARTIST relies almost entirely on character and charm, whereas Mel Brooks leaned heavily on slapstick. Writer/Director Michel Hazanavicius clearly loves the language of film, how a series of retakes chronicles the development of the love story, how the unexpected sound of an object on a desk can take the audience's breath away, how the sight of a large crowd of women jumping for joy at the sight of our movie star takes you right back to newsreel images from the time. Every frame of this film is filled with a sense of wonder and yet it's remarkably light on its feet. Look at the way Penelope Ann Miller's unhappy housewife gets the very endearing detail of doodling over pictures of her celebrity husband, or how Missi Pyle hilariously gives us her whole relationship with her co-star in a single glance. A stunning shot inside the famous Bradbury Building left me saying "Wow". If you love movies, you're gonna swoon over this one.

November 13, 2011

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_artist/

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