The Artist (2011) 7/10

Starring : Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, James Cromwell, Missi Pyle, John Goodman
Director : Michel Hazanavicius
Running Time : 100 mins

When Peppy Miller (Bejo) accidentally runs into screen legend George Valentin (Dujardin), she is inspired to audition for a small role in the movies. She soon becomes an overnight success and starts moving further up the billing at the cinema, but when 1929 and the advent of the talkies hits, Valentin finds himself becoming less and less popular as he refuses to move with the times and start speaking in his films.

I grew up on old black and white movies, though the only silent ones I ever watched were Laurel and Hardy, as I've always found Chaplin to be a bit too boring (controversial?). This is a perfect homage to that era, with some great use of cinematography and a clever nod to the transition to sound period of 1929. Personally I’d attribute George’s reluctance to make talkies to the fact that he may have been worried that his visual acting style may not translate well if his vocal skills didn’t match, though many thin it was due to his French accent. Either way, this is a nice conceit of a movie, but don’t expect to enjoy it unless you have at least a passing familiarity and fondness for the silent era.

You’ll like this if you liked : Citizen Kane