FILM REVIEW: The Artist

The Artist is not like any other recent movie you have ever seen. The Other Half and I saw it at the Arclight Cinemas Pasadena in the week between Christmas and New Years. At Arclight they always have the usher come in before the film and make a little speech about the film and the theater. At this screening the usher mentioned that the film was in an "old school" format of 4:3 in addition to being in black and white and nearly silent (no spoken dialogue). He wanted to warn the audiences not to think that there were technical difficulties with the sound or the projection: the unusual look and lack of dialogue were artistic choices by the writer-director Michel Hazanavicius.

The movie cleverly begins by showing a movie within the movie which is a silent movie, letting the audience become acclimated to the black and white format and the lack of sound. Eventually the camera pans back and shows that the movie within a movie is occurring at a gala premiere and it is precisely at the moment in which the audience has to buy into the central conceit of the film: the action outside the screen is also in black and white and silent! It is a very fun idea, which even gets more "meta" when one realizes that The Artist is a silent black-and-white film about a silent black-and-white film star! The film star in question (who also starred in the movie within a movie) is named George Valentin (played by the debonair Jean Dujardin) and in the beginning is shown to be a wildly popular leading man, a sort of combination of Rudolf Valentino and Errol Flynn.

The main plot involves the change in Hollywood with the advent of "talkie" movies and we are shown the meteoric rise of Peppy Miller (played by the luminous Bérénice Bejo) and corresponding precipitous fall of Dujardin. Miller is introduced to the audience as just another fan who is besotted with Valentin, hoping to get an autograph when through an accident her picture gets put in the paper with Valentin and she is discovered by the head of the studio (played by John Goodman).

One of the highlights of the movie is Valentin's sidekick, a dog named Jack who is a very well-trained Jack Russell Terrier, who appears in almost every scene of the film that Valentin appears in. Another highlight of the film are the beautiful locations around Los Angeles around which the plot takes place, depicting a 1930s Hollywood (then called "Hollywoodland" of course).

Overall, the film is a delightful homage to the storied past of cinema, with filmic shoutouts to some of the highest regarded movies of all time, such as Singin' in the Rain, A Star is Born and even Citizen Kane.

One caveat is that for modern-day audiences used to the high impact look and feel of HDTVs and Blu-Rays,  The Artist is a demanding film to watch, requiring more concentration and attention, but it is worth the effort.

Title:  The Artist.
Director: Michel Hazanavicius.
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for a disturbing image and a crude gesture.
Release Date: November 25, 2011.
Viewing Date: December 27, 2011.

 Plot: A-.
Acting: A.
Visuals: A-.
Impact: B+.

Overall Grade: (3.67/4.0).

WATCH: Amazing Scene from Dangerous Liaisons

This is a great scene from my favorite movie of all-time, Dangerous Liaisons.

Trailers for The Iron Lady and Albert Nobbs

Here at MadProfessah.com we have been covering the upcoming fight for the 2012 Best Actress Oscar between 2-time winner Meryl Streep and my favorite actress of all time, Glenn Close. Glenn is appearing in Albert Nobbs, where she plays a woman living as a man in 1800s Ireland. Meryl is appearing in The Iron Lady, a bio-pic about Margaret Thatcher. Meryl has made an amazing physical transformation to resemble the iconic British prime minister and what Glenn is doing in Albert Nobbs appears to be something which the word "acting" is too simple a word to describe.
Check out the competing trailers for Albert Nobbs versus The Iron Lady above. Which one do YOU think should win the Oscar?

2012 Oscars: The Best Actress Race Starts Early

Meryl Streep (left) has 2 Oscars (1979 Best Supporting Actress, Kramer v Kramer;
 1982 Best Actress, Sophie's Choice) and 16 nominations. Glenn Close (right) has
5 nominations and no wins (but 3 Emmys and 3 Tonys).

Ever since it was released that Glenn Close was playing a man in a film called Albert Nobbs she was producing and had co-written the screenplay for tongues have been wagging about her as the one to beat for the 2012 Best Actress Oscar. I have a sweet spot in my heart for Ms. Glenn Close because she is the best thing in one of my favourite movies of all time: Dangerous Liaisons.

Check this scene out and ask yourself why the Best Actress Oscar went to Cher that year!

However, now comes word that Meryl Streep, the most nominated actress of all time, is set to play former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in an upcoming film called The Iron Lady. The trailer for the latter has been released and La Streep has done one of her famous accents and incredible transformations:

Most people give the edge to Glenn because her film also has her brandishing an accent (19th century Irish), has a better director (Directed by Rodrigo Garcia, a well-known director of episodes of HBO series like Six Feet Under, Carnivale and In Treatment), a better cast (Oscar-winner Brenda Fricker, up-and-comer Mia Wasikowski (The Kids Are All Right, Alice in Wonderland), Jonathan Rhys Myers), and Glenn co-wrote the freaking screenplay and has been trying to get the movie made for 15 years! She also played the role on stage and won a Canadian Tony award (called an Obie). However, don't count out Ms. Streep either. The Iron Lady is directed by Phyllida Lloyd who directed her in her biggest box-office smash, the execrable Mamma Mia! and stars Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent and the always good Richard E. Grant.

If the movie is even half-way good, there's no question in my mind that the Academy will want to reward Glenn with atleast one Oscar (Anyone remember Emma Thompson's Oscar for Adapted Screenplay of Sense and Sensibility?) Also, Glenn currently has no Oscars on her mantel while Meryl has two.

I really don't know who I will be cheering for, I really really want Meryl to win her 3rd Oscar, but I also think Glenn Close was robbed decades ago so I really really want her to win as well.