The Artist

Rating: 5/5

As pretentious as this is going to sound, I really do prefer black and white. The lack of extreme detail and, well, color gives black and white movies a feeling of fantasy and escapism that I feel no 3D or CGI can. Three of my top five favorite films, including my number one, are black and white. I find an innocence in it that I don't anywhere else. This love is but part of why I love movies such as The Man Who Wasn't There and my new favorite film of 2011, The Artist.

Silent star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is on top of the world in 1927 when sound on film is first invented. George thinks it's just a fad, but is shoved aside for younger, talking stars like extra Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). Peppy is endlessly cheerful and indebted to George, who first drew in the beauty mark that has since become her signature feature. However as her career rises up and up, George's continues to fade into obscurity and destitution. But Peppy and George's destinies are intertwined, and not even sound will pull them apart.

I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked The Artist. The trailers and marketing made me think it was just a snobby French film in black and white only to please Oscar voters. How wrong I was. The Artist is a true labor of love to the art of cinema. Michel Hazanavicius does such a freakishly good job directing; beautiful cinematography, great, real sets, wonderful storytelling, and a feeling of pure wonder. Jean Dujardin may have the most charming smile ever, and he and the beautiful Berenice Bejo have such skill in facial expressions and body language it's hard to believe they aren't real silent stars.

Now I will address the issue that many people I know have used as an excuse not to see the film: the silence. The fact that The Artist is silent is not a detraction. Film is a visual medium, not an auditory one, and The Artist is a perfect example of that. Some of the media's most jaded critics loved this film, so there's no reason anyone else can't. You do not need dialogue to love a film. If that wasn't true then there would be no need for good cinematography, and The Artist wouldn't be so perfect.

I saw this movies with a group of people I wasn't sure would like it, and at the end they all raucously applauded. As I said before, I was surprised at how much I loved it. The Artist is pure unadulterated joy, and I dare you not to smile from beginning to end. I enjoyed every second of The Artist, and I really can't praise it enough. If you have ever claimed to love film, you are obligated to see The Artist. There simply isn't anything else like it.