A Night at the Movies: The Artist is a Delightful Movie

Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo who 

co-star in The Artist 

I finally caught up with The Artist at our local Avon Theater and what a delight it is!

It is hard to explain why a black and white movie with virtually no audibly spoken words (although there is a lovely musical accompaniment) should score so high in an era that emphasizes sound, color and spectacle.

I will try to touch on the subtle, yet overt magnetism of the movie.

First, there are the two main actors.

George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) heralds the end of the silent movie era. He is a Hollywood silent star movie performer in the late 1920's just as sound movies are being introduced. He is suave, debonair, immaculately groomed with a flair for dancing. He will soon be eclipsed by the new sound medium because of his unwillingness to adapt to it.

At the beginning, he accidentally meets his co-star Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo); she is an admiring fan who bumps into him under the marquis of a movie theater where one of his movies is making a debut. There is an instant attraction between the two;  she morphs into a movie extra, then is 'discovered' and becomes a star in the new world of the talking motion pictures.

She is lithe, energetic, light on her feet with a winsome smile. In short she is captivating.

As her star burns bright with her getting leading roles in the 'talkies', George's success diminishes. His marriage falls apart and there is no demand for his 'silent' acting.

Yet the magnetism between them is strong.

Early on, there is a heavenly scene where the couple join each other in dance even as they are constantly
changing partners. Each time they dance together, there is a radiant magnetism.

Though his life is in the decline, Peppy sticks with George through his severe depression and attempted suicide; she even revives his career by having George be her dancing partner in the talkies.

The movie ends with the couple dancing together, which is reminiscent of the marvelous Fred Astaire- Ginger Rogers duo.

It's a great movie. I urge you to see it--if you haven't already done so.

This movie is slated to win many Oscars.
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