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The Artist (2011)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Blu-ray Disc Released: 6/26/2012
All Ratings out of
Movie:
Video:
1/2
Audio:
1/2
Extras:
Review by Mike Long, Posted on 6/29/2012
Each year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences gives out an award for "Best Picture". This moniker implies that the award-winning movie is the best movie which was released that particular year. However, this brings to light a few concerns. First of all, everyone has different tastes, so calling one movie the "Best Picture" can be a stretch. Secondly, the voting is done by a group of individuals in the movie industry, so their tastes may not parallel that of the general population. If you scan a list of "Best Picture" winners from the three decades, the reaction to most of them is something like this, "Yeah, it's a good movie, but better movies came out that year." 2011's "Best Picture" The Artist is no exception to that trend.
The Artist opens in 1927, where we find George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) the hottest movie star in Hollywood and the king of the silent movies. Studio head Al Zimmer (John Goodman) loves Valentin, as he's cranked out a string of hits. While promoting his latest film, Valentin has a chance encounter with aspiring actress Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), who develops a crush on Valentin. As Peppy gets her first minor role, Valentin is faced with a decision -- talking pictures (AKA "Talkies") have been invented and Zimmer feels that it's the future of Hollywood. Valentin disagrees and decides to self-finance a silent epic. Meanwhile, Peppy's star takes off and she becomes America's sweetheart, even as the Depression looms. Will Valentin's big gamble pay off, or will he become obsolete?
Not only is The Artist set in the world of silent films, it is a silent film. Yes, you read that correctly, this is a silent movie, with 98% of the film accompanied by only a musical score. And, as with the classic silent movies, the occasional dialogue is shown through on-screen cards. The makers of the movie have gone to great lengths to recreate the look and feel of a movie from the late 1920s. The actors use dramatic, exaggerated gestures in order to emote. (It's like watching my wife talk on the phone.) The black-and-white film, which is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, offers the sort of fade ins and under-cranking which would have accompanied a movie of the time. I can see how this authentic approach would throw off some casual observers.
The problem with The Artist is that once you get past this gimmick, there's no substance to the film. The story is incredibly simple, even bordering on simplistic. We watch Valentin's fall from grace, as Peppy ascends to stardom. There are no plot twists and no surprises here. Actually, if you've seen the trailer, then you've seen the entire movie. Perhaps this was yet another way in which Writer/Director Michel Hazanavicius was attempting to emulate the movies of the period, which weren't exactly known for their intricate plots. The result is a film which is emotionally hollow. Valentin is a tragic character who allows his pride to get in the way of everything and he brings all of his problems onto himself. This is a standard character in literature, but the movie asks us to feel sorry for him and that's a challenge. Based on the trailer, I has assume that Valentin and Peppy had a relationship which fell apart, but this isn't the case. They had a chance encounter and then shared a moment on a movie set, and suddenly she's obsessed with him. Their flirtation appeared to make her into a stalker. The very linear plot and the lack of heart makes The Artist feel very slow-moving at times. The only moment which I felt was truly inspired was the dream sequence, which is quite clever.
So, why did The Artist rack up so many awards? The Hollywood-types keep saying that the movie is about being in love with the movies and that's why so many in the industry love it. But, I never got that vibe from it. The story of Hollywood making the change from silent films to "talkies" is certainly an interesting one, but, in my opinion, this idea was handled much better in Singin' in the Rain. In several ways, The Artist is a good movie, but in no way is it a great movie, and those going in expecting something special have been warned.
The Artist contains enough reaction shots from the dog to make John Landis roll his eyes on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 25 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no distracting grain and no defects from the source material. The black and white photography looks fine here, as the image is very crisp. The contrast between the various monochrome tones is good and the blacks are true. The picture has a nice amount of depth, most notably when objects are moving in the background. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 3.3 Mbps. Being a silent film, the basic content of the track is the musical score, which sounds fine. The music is bold and adds nicely to dramatic moments.
The Artist Blu-ray Disc contains a few extras. "The Artist: The Making of an American Romance" (22 minutes) begins with a series of interviews and soundbytes from the cast and Hazanvicius who discuss the ideas and themes of the film and talk some about the production. We then get an overview of the early history of cinema. From there, we get insights into the actors and their characters and see some on-set footage. The "Q&A with the Filmmakers and Cast" (45 minutes) was recorded at a screening of the film. It includes many of the main actors as well as the director and producer who engage in a lively discussion about the movie. "Hollywood as a Character: The Locations of The Artist" (5 minutes) provides a look at some of the major locations from the movie, but doesn't give enough detail on exactly where things are in relation to one another. "The Artisans Behind The Artist" (12 minutes) explores the production design, the cinematography, the costumes, and the music, highlighting key players in each of these disciplines. The final extra is a 2-minute BLOOPER REEL.
Review Copyright 2012 by Mike Long