One of my goals for this year is to give you all more content. In addition to the Mubi Monday reviews, I am aiming for two additional reviews each month from the featured lists on Letterboxd. Today, that review comes from the Academy Award Winners for Best Picture list with…The Artist (2011).
Title: The Artist
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
Watched via: VOD purchase
George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is one of Hollywood’s biggest silent movie stars. Outside of the premiere for his latest movie, a fan by the name of Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) bumps into him. Ever the showman, George plays off the accident and playfully shows Peppy to all the cameras. The next day, Peppy is front page news and everyone wants to know who she is.
Peppy is smart and uses her newfound fame to her advantage by auditioning as a dancer for a movie. While on set, she is spotted by George who petitions the head of Kinograph Studios, Al Zimmer (John Goodman), for her to have a part in their next picture. Despite Zimmer’s hesitation, Peggy is in the next picture which serves as a launching pad for her career.
Unfortunately for George, two years later Zimmer decides to end all production of silent films at Kinograph Studios. He dismisses sound as just another fad and decides to finance and direct his next film himself. Turns out that his movie is set to open the same day as Peggy’s new talkie movie. Adding insult to injury for George, opening day also happens to be the day the stock market crashed in 1929. To no one’s surprise after that unlucky series of events, George found himself bankrupt. and forced to auction off everything he owns.
It was George who helped Peggy on her way up. Would she extend the favor now that he is on his way down?
Honestly, before this viewing, all I really knew about The Artist (2011) was that it was a silent film and people have very strong opinions on it having won Best Picture. I am happy to report that I am team The Artist (2011).
The story is both effective and lean. The nod to the silent film era, love story of George and Peggy, and the harsh reality of the entertainment industry, we get all of that in a tight one hour and forty minutes. I didn’t once feel like I was getting too much of one storyline and not enough of another.
I loved the fact that ninety-nine percent of this was silent. It immerses you in that time period and gives it an authentic feel. Silent films were a whole different animal in terms of acting. You had to deliver your dialogue in a believable fashion through your motions and expressions. To see that masterfully done by Jean, Bérénice, and even John Goodman, was quite the welcomed surprise. Also, there was a crisp cleanness to it being in black and white. I don’t think the story is nearly as effective if this is in color.
Unfortunately, as of this writing, The Artist (2011) is not streaming anywhere for free. However, it is available to rent for $3.99 through both Apple and Prime Video. If you’re like me and haven’t seen it but are curious about the hype, it’s most definitely a worthwhile rental.
If you’ve seen The Artist (2011), I want to hear what you thought of it. You can tell me in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!
Stay tuned Monday for the next installment of Mubi Monday. And as always, you can see what else I’ve been watching over on my Letterboxd page.