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While The Artist is not strictly a pulp work, it is a close
cousin for a number of reasons.
To start off, I will say that The Artist is a great movie, with a fantastic
story, beautiful cinematography, a terrific cast, and wonderful music. While
The Artist is a silent film, there are far fewer dialog cards than I expected.
This is not due to lack of characters talking, but simply that most of the time
we know what people are saying even if there is no audible dialog.
The music carries the film well, without being obvious or
overwhelming. The filmmakers let the scenes play and the actors are just plain
fantastic.
The male lead, silent film star George Valentin (played by
Oscar winner Jean Dujardin) finds himself the toast of Hollywood with many
prize roles including Zorro and a Masked Detective. He meets aspiring actress
Peppy Miller (played by Oscar nominee Berenice Bejo - who happens to be the
Director's wife) and they play through romance and heartache all against the
backdrop of Hollywood. The film was shot in Hollywood and co-stars a phalanx of
great actors like John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, and
Malcolm McDowell.
The Artist is also a beautiful companion piece to Singin' in
the Rain. Both films play with the difficulties and opportunities presented
during the transitional period when silent films waned and the talkies took
over. Like Singin' in the Rain, The Artist is fun, accessible, and a great
piece of moviemaking.
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