MORAL OF THE MOVIE

Progress can be quite daunting as it represents a change from the norm that we’re used to. Yet, as easy as it is to be afraid of progress and remain complacent, it is oftentimes worth it to be a part of the progress and make the best of it.

WHO I THINK WOULD MOST ENJOY THIS MOVIE

If A Star Is Born and Sunset Boulevard had a baby that was a movie, then The Artist would be that baby (with a few obvious stylistic differences). This is a movie best fit for patient moviegoers who are fans of movies about Hollywood; bonus points if you like early 20th century silent movies.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/COMMENTARY

Nominated for 10 Oscars and winner of 5 of them (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score), The Artist is quite a unique film considering that it’s a silent film made in 2011. The entire film feels like it was actually made in the early 1920s because of the cinematography, music, and lack of audible dialogue. As such, it does take a bit of getting used to for modern audiences. In the first act, the film demands a lot from its viewer by introducing an entirely new format that we’re not used to; however, patient moviegoers will be validated with the satisfyingly emotional second and third acts. At first, the film’s style feels like a gimmick, but once you see what the whole film is getting at, you understand that the film itself is a metaphor of its own moral and subject matter. It’s quite ingenious. Something else that’s great about the film’s style is the fact that they do things with the style that wouldn’t have been possible when the style first originated, so it truly feels like a modern take on the silent film. There’s also the motif of stairs that represents how certain characters go up and down the ranks of Hollywood because of their respective affinities towards progress. Speaking of characters, the film was led by incredible starring performances from Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo that truly formed the heart of the film despite being limited to their expressions and body language alone by the restraints of being in a silent film. Yet, as good as I (and the Academy) say it is, I still gave it a Memorable One-Night Stand. I can see why The Artist won Best Picture given everything I talked about in addition to the fact that the Academy tends to love movies about Hollywood and LA (See: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, La La Land, Sunset Boulevard, etc.). Still, even though The Artist is a great movie with very relevant morals for the current climate, I don’t see myself going out of my way to rewatch it in the future. Overall, The Artist is full of great music, cinematography, acting, and direction that add up to make a beautiful love letter to the early stages of cinema and the long way that it has come since then.