BIG SCREEN
Movie: The Artist
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo
The audience would poignantly watch a scene, where a man, who is on the brink of losing his career, stands on the lower steps of a staircase and talks to his enthusiast, who's hiking up her vocation as well as the same stairway. All and sundry, tend to overlook that there is no dialogue heard by the viewers in this conversation and would feel swept away by this scene.
That's the kind of magic that Michel Hazanavicius weaves in his black and white, effervescent and stupendous entertainer, “The Artist”
Story
“The Artist” follows the story of a famed, silent film actor, George Valentin (played by the power-packed Jean Durajdin), whose livelihood fades out, due to the arrival of talkies, while his beloved, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) walks into fame. Even when the story sounds straightforward, this silent movie, which you never feel like one, utterly stuns the audience with the uplifting romance and heart-rending sparkle.
Michel Hazanavicius' vibrant, colourful characters shining with definitive film book portrayal, reminded me of the evergreen classic “Singin' in the rain” and that statement remains an absolute accolade.
Speaking in silence
The movie engrosses us with a inimitable empathy and vivid shades of life. Failing to provide credits to the sleek, artistic, cinematography by Guillaume Schiffman and quintessential, superlative score by Ludovic Bource, would be a gaffe.
Moments like Valentin's dog rushing helplessly to find assistance; Valentin and Miller falling in love; Valentin, watching his own downfall and Peppy Miller with the overcoat in a surrealistic amorous sequence, make “The Artist” one of the very best movies this year and deservingly so.
Bottomline: “The Artist” success not only lies in the dialogue-less rendition of a historically vital story, but also in its captivating make over with the essence of consistently entertaining , deeply moving and hypnotic film making.
SRIVATHSA SUBRAMANIAN S., software professional and short film maker
