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There are virtually no limits to the appeal and accessibility of “The Artist,” the French-made, silent, black-and-white Hollywood homage that debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and is now gobbling up critics’ awards left and right. Naysayers accuse the film of being out of touch with its era (the transition from silents to talkies circa 1930), but “The Artist,” in all its relentless, romanticized charm, has little interest in being a historical record. Timelessness is its goal — the enduring ability of fundamentally, modestly dazzling images to captivate, and the undying, universal power of visual narrative.
It is with great irony that it emerges as one of the most artistically relevant movies of the year, a perfect commentary on the barreling forward of new-now-next technology, and how the virtues of a diverse media climate are often trampled amid the frenzy over the latest flashy thing. That it even exists in an industry dominated by 3-D ticket sales and intangible home video options is some kind of miracle, and its viral popularity is most certainly a testament to the necessity of a full and varied movie menu, with stripped-down throwbacks offered alongside the usual computer graphic spectacles.
Written and directed by the Oscar-bound Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist” is a comedy and a tragedy. It tells of silent superstar George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), an expert ham with a megawatt smile who finds himself obsolete when sound films storm Tinseltown. The object of his affection and aggravation is Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a beautiful fan who parlays a walk-on dancing role into a career as the ultra-popular poster gal of the newly audible industry. The forging of the couple’s bond coincides with George’s detachment from his old life, and the ample laughs are ever-paired with the inexorable march of time.
What results is something of such multifaceted pleasure, it’s hard to organize the wonders in your head. Nostalgic, relevant, hilarious, sad, smart, and very beautiful, “The Artist” is movie euphoria. Don’t bother arranging post-screening transportation; You’ll be carried home on a cloud.
The Artist
PG-13
Four reels out of four
Opens Dec. 23 at the Ritz Five
Recommended Rental
Midnight in Paris
PG-13
Available Tuesday
In the grand tradition of his own masterpiece “Manhattan,” Woody Allen serves up a love letter to a city with “Midnight in Paris,” a coming-of-middle-age dramedy and cultural treasure trove that sees a lost writer (Owen Wilson) find inspiration and kinship with some of the greatest creative minds of the 20th century. An ode to learning from the past, but not living in it, the star-studded movie has magic to burn. SPR
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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