From writer-director Michel Hazanavicius, the film stars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. This film is supremely different from anything else we saw in 2011 -- it is silent. A beautiful homage to the earliest films, it tells the story of silent film actor George Valentin (Dujardin) who, after the introduction of "talkies," loses his fame. He becomes increasingly depressed as he sees Peppy Miller (Bejo), a young actress-dancer he helped discover, rise to fame as a "talking" movie star. A highlight performance was that of Uggie, the dog; it was one of the best canine performances I've seen (when he places his head between his paws -- so cute!). Dujardin and Bejo both deliver outstanding performances; in a film with no dialogue, acting becomes supremely important, and these two relatively unknowns nail every gesture and facial expression. Their chemistry is very believable as well. This film should win Best Picture throughout awards season (sorry, Hugo, although you're more than welcome to pull an upset) because it demonstrates that every type of film has its place in an age where CGI and special effects dominate the big screen. What makes a film -any film - special will always come down to great actors, a great script, and a great director, and The Artist is a true testament to that.
Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A
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