Last few films that I watched recently have generally disappointed me.So this was a refreshing change,its exquisitely beautiful in smooth Black and White.Every minute detail has been taken care of and cinematography is really cool.Film is well thought out and story telling is deft,treatment of subject and presentation of the film is quite intelligently done.Set decoration is the finest so are the lovely costumes of that period that is 1920-1930.
Its a story most of the regular movie lovers are familiar with transition of movies from silent era to sound era and its effect on actors.Its dealt with in many movies most memorably in "Singing in the Rain" also it has similarities with George Cukor's Dinner at Eight (1933).
George Valentin is silent films actor who when talkies come is discarded by his studio.His find Peppy Miller who loves him too meanwhile survives the transition and soon becomes a big star.George is on the verge of bankruptcy and committing suicide when Peppy asks him to allow her to help him.He could dance really well and the studio accepts them as a dancing team.The film ends on this happy note.
So its a little like "Kaagaz Ke Phool" too,the noted Guru Dutt Classic.
Jean Dujardin is really fine as George,to me he looks quite like Gene Kelly in his prime,he also has similar immaculate set of teeth.Bérénice Bejo is good enough as Peppi though she reminded me of Mallika Sherawat.James Cromwell is the butler here and he supports ably.Uggie plays the pet dog
of George and he wins everybody's heart.He is a clever performer and he is the third most important character of the movie.In George's silent movie he is always beside him,and also in real life,its he who calls the policeman when George in emotional distress sets his house on fire.
Peppi secretly buys all of George's stuff when he puts them on auction when he goes bankrupt.This reminded me of "Aap to Aise Na the" where Deepak Parashar buys of things from Raj Babbar his bosom pal and just stores them in his Godown.
French Director Michel Hazanavicius has done a wonderful job here.He wear three hats here editing,writing and directing this lovely movie.Music of the movie by Ludovic Bource is fabulous and completely in sync with the movie.Make-up department too has done a wonderful job by their combined efforts they take us back to another era.
This wonderful movie is nominated for Academy Awards in 10 Categories.
Their's a funny scene when Peppi is in George's dressing room and puts one hand inside his coat and another around it.In a way as if a man is embracing her and caressing her when suddenly George enters and she blushes.Few weeks back "Dirty Picture" starring Vidya Balan surprised us all and it also dealt with a similar subject.
Another nice scene is when Peppi comes in rain to George's house.His own produced silent movie
has debuted to poor response from audience.So when she tells him she had just watched his movie he asks "had she came to get a refund".And soon her male friend joins in telling him how his father is a big fan of his movies.
 
Los Angeles:
Academy Awards voters have spoken up for 'The Artist,' the first silent
film to triumph at Hollywood's highest honors since the original Oscar
ceremony 83 years ago.
The black-and-white comic melodrama took four prizes on Monday,
including best picture, actor for Jean Dujardin and director for Michel
Hazanavicius. Not since the World War I saga "Wings" was named
outstanding picture at the first Oscars in 1929 had a silent film earned
the top prize.
The other top Oscars went to Meryl Streep as best actress for 'The Iron Lady,' Octavia Spencer as supporting actress for 'The Help' and Christopher Plummer as supporting actor for 'Beginners.' 'The Help' actress Octavia Spencer and 'Beginners' veteran Christopher Plummer won the first two major acting Oscars with Plummer making history as the oldest Academy Award winner ever at 82. Director Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo,' which tells the story of a boy lost in a train station and also serves as an ode to the early days of filmmaking, came into the night with 11 nominations and picked up five early wins for cinematography, art direction, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects. Silent movie romance 'The Artist' was close behind with 10 nominations and nabbed two early Oscars for costume design and musical score, while 'The Iron Lady,' which starred Meryl Streep as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher won for makeup. But it was Plummer and Spencer who had the audience of A-list stars including George Clooney, Michelle Williams, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt standing on their feet and cheering. Plummer, who starred in 'The Sound of Music,' won his first ever Oscar for his portrayal of an elderly gay man who comes out to his family in 'Beginners. "You're only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all of my life," he said, looking at the golden Oscar, which is given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is in its 84th year. Spencer, a relative newcomer in contrast to Plummer, had to hold back tears as she accepted her trophy for her portrayal of a black, southern made in civil rights drama 'The Help.' "Thank you Academy for putting me with the hottest guy in the room," she said holding her Oscar in her hand. She then went on to talk about her family in Alabama and could not hold back her tears as she joyously accepted her trophy. In other major wins, the foreign language film award went to Iranian divorce drama 'A Separation.' "I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment," said its director Ashgar Farhadi. 'Rango' claimed best animated film, and best documentary saw the night's first surprise victory for 'Undefeated,' a film about the players on a football team in a poor neighborhood who struggle to make their lives better. 'Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory' had been widely picked to win by pundits. Billy Returns Comedian Billy Crystal, who returned to emcee the show for the ninth time, had the crowd laughing loudly with an opening video in which he was edited into the year's top movies. He was kissed by George Clooney on the lips in a scene out of 'The Descendants' and even ate a tainted pie from 'The Help.' He opened with a monologue in which he joked: "there's nothing like watching a bunch of millionaires present each other with golden statues" and sang a song about the movies that drew a loud round of applause. Hollywood's biggest fashion parade on the Oscar red carpet heated up with Michelle Williams in a stunning red dress from Louis Vuitton, 'The Help' star Jessica Chastain in a dazzling Alexander McQueen black and gold embroidered gown, while Gwyneth Paltrow chose Tom Ford and white, a popular color. Later in the night that the action truly begins with awards for best film, performances, directing and writing. This year, 'The Artist,' a tale of old Hollywood that sees a fading star find redemption through the love of a woman just as silent movies are being taken over by talkies, is widely picked to take home best film by most industry pundits. While it faces keen competition from civil rights drama 'The Help,' "The Artist" has come out on top in most award shows this year. Still, pundits point out that "The Help" did win best ensemble cast from the Screen Actors Guild, and actors make up the biggest group of Oscar voters. The third movie that has had Hollywood buzzing this season is family drama "The Descendants," starring George Clooney as a man trying to keep his family together after his cheating wife is hospitalized in a coma. But 'Descendants' has failed to spark Oscar voters, and its key win is seen as adapted screenplay. The category of best actress features a too-close-to-call race between Viola Davis playing a maid in 'The Help' and Meryl Streep in 'The Iron Lady.' Tom O'Neil of awards website Goldderby.com calls that race "neck and neck." The best actor category sees American Clooney 'Descendants' face Frenchman Jean Dujardin, star of 'The Artist.' For a long time, Clooney seemed to have the upper hand, but Dujardin has won most every time the two have been pitted against each other. The race for director is widely tipped to go to 'The Artist' maker Michel Hazanavicius, but could see a surprise by 'Hugo' and Scorsese, Woody Allen with 'Midnight in Paris' or Alexander Payne and 'The Descendants.' |
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