Tweet The Artist (2011) a contemporary silent

After 5 weeks on French screens, the film has had 1,412,662 spectators. If it gets any award here or across the pond, it might get another boost. But it's staying among the top ten at the BO.

The Artist received great reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival. Ann Curry on the Today show said this morning that it was one of the best films she has seen in years.

I have seen it twice and still can't get enough. This wasn't made to poke fun at silent film or be a spoof of the genre; it's a real silent film and a great one to boot. Never mind that the leading lady is married to the man who created the film; she is great and fits the age of the 20's wonderfully. She deserves an Oscar nod as does her leading man.

I can't say enough about this picture. The silent filmmakers in the sky (and almost all of them are up there now) are beaming downward with joy in their hearts.

Last Sunday, CBS Sunday Morning did a piece on this film and revealed that the scene in the dressing rom when Peppy Miller pretends that Valentin is with her (she is pantomiming with his coat on a rack), she improvised the bit where she places her arm in the coat sleeve and grabs "her" hip.

This is one film, silent or not, you will all want to see again and again. The score is wonderful and the sound "effects" are great.

The theater I saw it in ran it on actual 35mm film, giving it a more authentic look. Actually filmed in color, its black and white release may not bring back silent film but it's going to be a marvelous journey for first time silent filmgoers to see.
Who knows, young people may want to see more silent films from the actual era. It's a Win - Win for silent film.

I agree. I think it's going to be big. There is a small group of malcontents who think for some reason Michel Hazanavicius is mocking silent film or is indifferent to it, but I cannot for the life of me figure out where they get that. Some have complained it doesn't stand up to the true classics of the era, like 7th Heaven or Sunrise, but hell, what DOES? I think this is simply a lovingly crafted tribute, and meant to be a real crowd-pleaser, and if it restores a measure of interest in silent film, then I'm all for it.

I don't think scholars truly realize how much pre-1990s cinema has vanished from the public consciousness, much less silent cinema. I teach at a film school that removed film history from its core curriculum, for one thing. When I asked my 15 students how many of them heard of Jimmy Stewart, 3 raised their hands. 3. I think a greater awareness of our film heritage is a good thing.

I agree; I taught a college level video production class and I'd shoehorn film history into it at times. It felt surreal my explaining that MGM was quite a big studio in its day, and identifying clips of Burt Lancaster, Spencer Tracy and others of whom they were strangers to the class. A few had heard of Cary Grant, though. A few.

I have a vast collection of films and all my younger friends want to see are pictures made in colour this century. One has said that all the people I knew in films are dead. I think this is the attitude of the times where everyone lives in the here and now with no knowledge or interest in what has preceded their being here.

Going to the pictures these days is not a very pleasant experience (a reason why I now have my own cinema). Most cinemas are shoe boxes devoid of any artistic decoration. Films are projected by a projectionist who is the one person doing the job for a 15 cinema complex. Audiences talk throughout, or text or ring up on their mobile 'phones. The smell of popcorn is enough to make one bilious. The sound is deafening and the support programme consists of advertisements and coming attractions (most of which you would never wish to ever see).

Into the melange of film wastage and 3D extravaganzas - there pops an extraordinary little gem. A picture that tells a story without dialogue - does not have bad language, blatant sexual scenes, explosions, cars being wrecked or a number of people being killed. What's more it is the old academy ratio and monochromatic. This film is so different for modern audiences - who will find it a novelty - that they could just take to it as it is such a contrast to the usual fare served up to them. Maybe they will prefer music to crass language, a proper story to something that looks like it is made up as it goes along, Maybe they will learn also to concentrate and work things out in their minds.

I don't know if all younger people will understand what they are seeing or even like it - but, even if a small section of them do, then that alone is encouraging. Maybe "The Artist" will generate a renewed interest in silent pictures, and I hope it does, but more importantly it might encourage those who make pictures, to make good pictures again - whether they be silent or talking.

Greetings everyone,

Just a heads up that I received a review soundtrack for "The Artist" and the music is wonderful but there is one track titled "Imagination" by Red Nichols & His Five Pennies that really captures the era with its sound and style. At first I was wondering if they were a new band as I have never heard of them but looking online, they were a band from the 1920's.

The group recorded through the 1940s. Benny Carter, the saxophonist, made some recordings with them as well, particularly on his composition "Hollyridge Drive."

[Mike Gebert]

Red Nichols made records with everybody... he was a big session player in the 20s.

Among the everybody, my great-great-uncle Walter Davison.

Red Nichols unwittingly lent his name to a fine retro-country group. The Colorado Bluegrass supergroup Hot Rize, at their live concerts, used to change into different outfits, instruments, and personas, to play a set as "Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers." They'd cover classic country songs by Bob Wills and the like. Very good, and very funny stage banter.

There was a nice spot, including an interview with the director of The Artist, on National Public Radio this morning.

I hadn't heard that Uggie had won the "Palme D'Og" at Cannes. Good for him.

And a nice review from Leonard Maltin.

I guess I'm the only one who didn't care for it. The Artist is nothing but pretentious tripe that uses the same story-lines that past films like Singin In The Rain and A Star Is Born used successfully DECADES ago. The film reinforces the same myths that plague the silent era such as the idea that talkies killed careers of silent film stars and silen films were either really silly adventure stories that starred Douglas Fairbanks or mindless comedies that the female lead is seen starring in in the film. The inter-titles are poorly written without an ounce of cleverness you'd see from the silent era and the look of the film didn't feel 1920s silent era.

The whole film was predictable and forgettable. This has to be one of the worse films I've seen this year and I'll stick with the real classic silents thank you very much.

Oh and by the way, without giving credit where credit is due, they ripped off Stella Maris,Citizen Kane, Battleship Pokemkin & Ocktober, all five versions of A Star is Born, Singin in the Rain,Show People,Fritz Lang, Sunset Blvd, the Vertigo score and Garbo's famous line.

So I guess it's okay for SINGIN' IN THE RAIN to cover the same territory as A STAR IS BORN, but not for THE ARTIST? Don't like BLAZING SADDLES because it parodies westerns? BUCKAROO BANZAI because it parodies sci fi? SILENT MOVIE because it parodies silent movies? YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN because it parodies FRANKENSTEIN? STAR WARS because it parodies serials and cheap sci-fi? RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK because it parodies b pictures and action serials? HBO's MILDRED PIERCE because it remakes MILDRED PIERCE? Martin Scorsese films since they reference other films? HUGO since it introduces George Melies as a character? Since just about every film refers back to another film, that would little original to see.

I guess it also means that all three A STAR IS BORN films are worthless because they just redo what came before, going all the way back to WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD?

So I guess it's okay for SINGIN' IN THE RAIN to cover the same territory as A STAR IS BORN, but not for THE ARTIST? Don't like BLAZING SADDLES because it parodies westerns? BUCKAROO BANZAI because it parodies sci fi? SILENT MOVIE because it parodies silent movies? YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN because it parodies FRANKENSTEIN? STAR WARS because it parodies serials and cheap sci-fi? RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK because it parodies b pictures and action serials? HBO's MILDRED PIERCE because it remakes MILDRED PIERCE? Martin Scorsese films since they reference other films? HUGO since it introduces George Melies as a character? Since just about every film refers back to another film, that would little original to see.

For 2011, it's not okay. Sorry just want silent era to finally be told accurately and The Artist is just reusing old stereotypes and myths. That's not going to progressively change people's views of the silent era, it's going to reinforce what they saw when the similar story was used in Singin In The Rain. At with Singin In The Rain, it had top notch performances, beautiful choreography, cinematography and great direction. The Artist plays as a cover band at Tropical Tavern playing rather uninspiring a playlist of everybody's favorite movie moments.

I love the film, but as I was watching it I could certainly imagine tha some cinephiles might object to the "portrayal" of silent cinema, but I truly don't understand that point of view. The one negative review I've seen published on Slate's website also seems to object to what he sees as a contemptuous and indifferent attitude on the part of Michel Hazanavicius and an inaccurate portrayal of silent cinema, to which I ask: Well, what is the 'accurate' portrayal of silent cinema? I fell in love with silent films at the age of 16 when I saw Brownlow and Gill's version of The Thief of Bagdad on PBS and I think The Artist captures that simple sense of pure joy.

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT

Regarding stereotypes and myths, what stereotypes and myths are you referring to? In the film, George Valentin is terrified of appearing in talking pictures, and it's obvious at the end with his single line of dialogue that he was terrified of doing so because of his thick French accent, something that was a real issue with actors like Vilma Banky, Emil Jannings, et cetera, most of whom solved the problem by leaving Hollywood. Valentin couldn't leave, of course, because we wouldn't have a movie. Among natives, Clara Bow for one was terrified of that microphone. These were not myths. I think the film utilizes certain known facts about the end of the silent era and creates intriguing twists.

END OF SPOILERS

I think the issue here is whether The Artist somehow harms the profile of silent cinema, and I hate to break it to you, but silent cinema doesn't have a profile. The vast majority of audiences don't even know they existed. They have passed from the public consciousness just as all pre-1980s films are quickly passing from the public consciousness. Quick. Tell me how many channels show movies from before 1980 out of the hundreds and hundreds of channels available. Oh, right. One. I think The Artist is a very genuine tribute, and of course, a tribute will include homages to other films, and I didn't find any of them offensive or unoriginal. Hell, the coat rack scene to which some people refer as a ripoff from 7th Heaven is actually a second-hand "ripoff" from Stella Maris. And 99.999% of the people seeing the film have never even heard of those two movies.

My one issue was the use of the love theme of Vertigo. I thought that was too much.

If you think this is one of the worst movies of the year, that's your prerogative, but in a year that saw countless superhero films and pointless sequels and, worst of all, Seth Rogan in The Green Hornet, I think you're being pretty unfair. Thanks to this film, many people who never heard of silent films now know they exist and maybe, just maybe, a new generation of film viewers will fall in love with the idea, just as I did 24 years ago.

So I guess it's okay for SINGIN' IN THE RAIN to cover the same territory as A STAR IS BORN, but not for THE ARTIST? Don't like BLAZING SADDLES because it parodies westerns? BUCKAROO BANZAI because it parodies sci fi? SILENT MOVIE because it parodies silent movies? YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN because it parodies FRANKENSTEIN? STAR WARS because it parodies serials and cheap sci-fi? RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK because it parodies b pictures and action serials? HBO's MILDRED PIERCE because it remakes MILDRED PIERCE? Martin Scorsese films since they reference other films? HUGO since it introduces George Melies as a character? Since just about every film refers back to another film, that would little original to see.

For 2011, it's not okay. Sorry just want silent era to finally be told accurately and The Artist is just reusing old stereotypes and myths. That's not going to progressively change people's views of the silent era, it's going to reinforce what they saw when the similar story was used in Singin In The Rain. At with Singin In The Rain, it had top notch performances, beautiful choreography, cinematography and great direction. The Artist plays as a cover band at Tropical Tavern playing rather uninspiring a playlist of everybody's favorite movie moments.

In a story from Deadline.com, two members of the Chaplin family went to a Monday screening of THE ARTIST at the Academy to give it the family's official blessing.
http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/hammond ... ore-197726

Here's a story from today's LA Times about the film, describing the background of the stars/director, as well as some of the research in creating the picture:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 0200.story

I am totally stoked for this. A new legitimate silent film instead of a mere pastiche. Can't wait!

On Los Angeles public radio station KPCC's show Film Week this morning, critic Wade Boteler called THE ARTIST one of the two top contenders for Best Picture at the moment. He thinks this is the best film of the year and of the decade so far.

Here is Kenneth Turan's rapturous review from THE LOS ANGELES TIMES today:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 6540.story

[silentfilm]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/25/showbiz/m ... f=trendent

Review: 'The Artist' is stunningly beautiful
By Mark Rabinowitz, Special to CNN
updated 4:40 PM EST, Fri November 25, 2011

(CNN) -- I am probably neither the first nor last critic to say this, but Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" is a flawless film.

There is literally nothing wrong with it. I don't have a single nit to pick, minor flaw to point out or little bit that annoyed me. It is pure magic from the first frame to the last. It is proof that to be moving, engaging, enthralling and fun, movies have no need for sex or violence, color or even spoken dialog, for that matter.

That's not to say I don't love many films with all those things, but "The Artist" has distilled cinema to something it so rarely achieves: pure joy in art.

This is not art for art's sake, this is art for enjoyment's sake. It's not an "important" film that we all need to see because it's great art (although it is both important and art) it is a film that everyone should see because it's joyous. It's stunningly beautiful. It's a throwback to some of the things that brought people into the cinema in the first place. The chance to escape their lives and live someone else's for a time.

The story is relatively simple and takes plot elements from "Singing in the Rain," "Citizen Kane" and "A Star is Born" as well as the best of Hollywood melodrama. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a matinee idol, a star of the (silent) silver screen. Along with his faithful Jack Russell terrier (Uggie), Valentin stars in action adventures and is revered by men and women alike.

It's the age old story: Men want to be him and women want to be with him.

At the premiere of his latest blockbuster, as George is mugging for the cameras and signing autographs, he runs into Peppy Miller (a luminous Bérénice Bejo), an aspiring actor. They meet cute when she is caught in the throng of autograph seekers (she is one herself) and suddenly finds herself on the other side of the policemen holding back the crowd and standing right next to her idol.

Taking advantage of the situation, Peppy begins to mug, planting one on her idol's cheek, landing the pair on the cover of Variety and setting the plot in motion, a variation on the old "boy meets girl" standard. While George is reveling in his box office glory and Peppy is hoping to make the most of her instant fame, George's wife, Doris (Penelope Ann Miller), is stewing in jealousy and resentment. And while the photo in Variety is completely innocent, one gets the feeling her fears may not be completely groundless.

Peppy lands a gig as an extra in George's next film and the obvious attraction between the two begins to manifest itself. Peppy is a starstruck aspiring actress just beginning her career in show business and George is a veteran movie star and ladies man at the top of his game. You also get the feeling he's been in this situation before.

Things are going well for George. Despite the unrest at home, he's got a new film, he's got a new crush and all is right in his world, until the head of the studio, Al Zimmer (John Goodman), begins to embrace the talkies. While Al is convinced that the advent of sound is the future of film, George is convinced the public will stick with him, so he bets on the continued popularity of the silent film. Thus, his career begins to wane, just as Peppy's beings to wax.

The end of the silent era (and his marriage) and the crash of the stock market send George into a spiral of booze and self-loathing, with only his faithful dog and chauffeur Clifton (James Cromwell) sticking by him. Bitter over the demise of his career, George even lashes out at what he sees as the symbol of that decline, Peppy.

"The Artist" isn't actually a silent film per se, as it has a score and well, I won't spoil it for you, but Hazanavicius' use of sound is ingenious. However, for all intents and purposes, it is silent. For the actors, there was very little difference, as they still speak their lines, we just don't hear them, but for the audience, the change is immeasurable. Instead of watching their faces almost exclusively, we find our eyes drifting across the screen and noticing things that perhaps we might not have noticed otherwise.

A subtle cue of body language, the placing of objects within the frame, how the music moves the action along, all of these and more come alive when we're not tied to watching the actors speak. Hazanavicius has a deft hand at directing and a delightful sense of whimsey. The film is peppered with sight gags in the best of classic Hollywood tradition, and both Dujardin and Bejo prove more than up for the task. A brief pantomime between Bejo and one of George's suit jackets is worth the price of admission alone -- and keep your eye on the dog!

Hazanavicius and his backers took a huge risk in making the film. They funded a black and white, silent film with two unknown (in the United States) leads and a handful of supporting Hollywood talent. However, when Dujardin picked up the best actor prize at Cannes and reviews started to pour in, they knew they had a winner on their hands.

A pure and open love letter to the cinema, "The Artist" contains many nods and winks to the history of this art form and clever viewers will pick up on a few cues. It is, as I have mentioned, a comedy, a melodrama and a romance, but above all, it fulfills the promise of what cinema can be at its best. It takes us on a journey up to the peaks and down in the valleys, through love, loss, heartbreak and despair and right back around again to love.

"The Artist" is rated PG-13, although it's on the tame end of the scale. A bird is flipped, there are a few moments of characters in jeopardy and quite a bit of smoking, if that sort of thing bothers you.

[silentfilm]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/28/showbiz/movies/breaking-dawn-leads-box-office-ew/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7

In very limited debuts, "The Artist" and "A Dangerous Method" both posted strong numbers from just four theaters. The Artist found about $210,000 and a stunning $52,604 per theater average -- great results for any film, much less a black-and-white silent one. With strong Oscar buzz and an "A" CinemaScore grade working in The Artist's favor, Weinstein is planning to expand the film slowly through Christmastime.

I haven't looked at the comments here until I saw the film, which I did yesterday. It was a lot of fun and there were a lot of self-conscious oddities. The musical soundtrack was mono; the set designer stuck a a couple of bronze Biograph eagles on John Goodman's desk and the overall effect seemed to be as if they were trying to make a Preston Sturges version of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. The visuals were excellent. DuJardin looked like cross between Doug Fairbanks and Gene Kelly; I blinked at Malcolm MacDowell, because he looked like an elderly Lewis Stone, and John Goodman strongly suggests Robert Grieg. The B&W was exquisite.

It's a little too self-conscious to be great on its own terms for the Nitrateville crowd, but overall, a fond and sturdy work. Go see it in a theater.

Bob

[silentfilm]

http://ladailymirror.com/2011/11/28/mar ... #more-5520

Mary Mallory: A Loving Valentine to Silent Film in ‘The Artist’
Posted on November 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

Who says that a black and white silent film can’t still be a hit 82 years after the start of the sound era? The French feature film THE ARTIST, released in a limited number of theatres this past weekend in Los Angeles and New York, is a loving homage to the American silent film. Full of emotion and spirit, the movie demonstrates what is often lacking in today’s Hollywood films: heart.

Lead actor Jean Dujardin gives an infectious, inspired performance as George Valentin, a silent film actor in the late 1920s. Full of charm and spirit, while also a bit of a ham, Valentin performs in action films with his constant companion, a winning little terrier who almost steals the show. At a premiere, Valentin literally bumps into an aspiring young actress named Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), and the story begins. The two leads possess great chemistry, and play their roles with elan. Dujardin channels Douglas Fairbanks while also mimicking Mary Pickford’s great strength, acting with your eyes.

French director Michel Hazanavacitius has created a film that is both beautiful and incredibly well-acted, and which also highlights elegant locations all around Los Angeles. The Bradbury Building stairs and Art Deco Cicada Club downtown appear as locations, along with the Orpheum Theatre and the lobby of the Los Angeles Theatre. The Red Studio on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood stands-in for the movie studio, and a building at the American Film Institute becomes a hospital. Beachwood Drive plays itself in the film, with a digitally recreated Hollywoodland Sign above it.

The film features sleek cars of the period, along with lovely period costumes and props, and also contains an artful blend of period music, film score cues from classic films, and a creative original score.

THE ARTIST aptly demonstrates the draw of silent films: pure emotion. The events sweep the audience along in caring what happens to the characters, rather than being purely visceral, as so many current films are. This film demonstrates that simple joy and emotion pay bigger dividends than seeing explosions, killings, and violence.

I hope this hits Seattle soon...this is one I really want to see in the theatre.

The Artist wins 5 nominations in the Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Cinematography!

http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/spirit- ... ore-198819

I'm seeing this tomorrow evening and am so looking forward to it.

The New York Film Critics Circle is live-tweeting its awards today. It's the beginning of Awards Season, something I usually dread, but this year is special so I'm actually paying attention. Hazanavicius was just named Best Director.

http://twitter.com/#!/NYFCC2011

The Artist has five Independent Spirit Award nominations, tied for the most along with Take Shelter:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/29/idUS19090856920111129