The Artist (2011)

An homage to a bygone genre that convincingly shows the audience why silent films are something that we are sorely missing in today's loud and clumsy movie industry. "The Artist" is truly a masterpiece.A silent film in 2011?!?!... What a great time to come out in one of the worst years in movie history before the saturation of explosion-fest-Michael-Bay-blockbusters overwhelms the true films of Hollywood. Now many would probably come to the assumption that the removal of color and a dialogue free movie would seem like a gimmick or a pretentious movie that is daring to be known as "the best movie of all time". Nowhere are both sensed or seen. "The Artist"'s cinematography is absolutely beautiful. There are some gorgeous shots that though it is in black and white, are scenic breakthroughs. The cinematography and the camerawork is traditional in the sense of the silent film era's style but yet there are some outstandingly gorgeous shots.And what else could we say about the two stars of the show? They're irresistibly candid and fun to watch. Of course with a silent movie, expressions and body language is its way of conveying emotions; those emotions are expressed with such sparkle by Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. The chemistry between the two is palpable.Especially in the 21st century, the majority of the audience members are not interested in silent films, but "The Artist" is so irresistibly entertaining that it convincingly shows the magic films have lost because of the genuine attention audiences must invest to the characters, the setting, the communication, and the keen eye to acting ability. After watching this, its got me convinced to watch old school silent films again lol. The only thing that I would have to say that was the gripe of this movie was the pacing towards the 3rd quarter of the movie; it started to lose the audience's attention but regains it quickly.The movie isn't trying to be deep or pretentious; the simple plot and the chemistry are enough to invoke drama, comedy, happiness, and sadness. "The Artist" is not only artistic but it is a very wholesome, well-rounded film that is fun for the whole family. Yes, many would complain that it is too predictable. Really? A silent film has to be innovative in terms of its plot? Sorry, but silent films were always about the characters.What an homage to the silent film era. "The Artist" pulls everything off spectacularly and manages to pull of its purpose -- to show the magic that is missing from many films nowadays and to once again reignite a desire to see and want silent films again. This is a masterpiece.