Oscar special: That sound and awe that is 'The Artist'

Films like The Artist come along once in a while. How often does a film capture your imagination, have you transfixed, entertain you every moment it unspools, and leave you feeling elated in the end? This is movie-making at its best. It’s poetic justice then that the film itself is an ode to cinema, a recreation of the time when motion pictures had just entered our lives, and when going to the movies was a joy that was unparalleled. It also reflects a time when cinema was on the cusp of a revolution that would change everything — the advent of sound.

French filmmaker Michel Haznavicius continues to salute cinema in his films. Two of his earlier films, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and OSS 117: Lost in Rio, were fashioned on Hollywood spy films. This time, the director doffs his hat to 1920s’ Hollywood, and pays it the ultimate tribute by writing a script sans dialogue. He goes a step ahead and treats The Artist like a film not just about the 1920s, but one that follows the tenets of the films made then. 

The Artist is the story of Hollywood superstar George Valentin and his love affair with starlet Peppy Miller. Valentin’s an entertainer par excellence, a charmer. But while he reigns the silent movie era, he is flustered and shaken when sound makes its entry in films.

The storyline may have nothing new to offer, it’s clichéd even, but Haznavicius makes every moment a treat. The background score, given its importance with the absence of dialogue, is effective, the art direction spot-on, and the cinematography captures the era aptly. Not surprisingly, the film has received a host of technical nominations.

There is no other way to put it — The Artist is the best film of 2011, a cinematic triumph, and deserves to win the top prize. Haznavicius does everything a director could do right with this film, and surely deserves a shot at the Best Director Oscar, but Martin Scorsese (for Hugo) and Alexander Payne (for The Descendants) could prove to be difficult competition to beat. Haznavicius has won a few Original Screenplay awards for the film earlier in the year and could win here too.

Jean Dujardin, as Valentin, plays a character most actors from the current generation would find difficult to portray — he has to rely on expressions and body language more than dialogue, and he delivers beautifully. If the Academy isn’t as gung-ho as it seems to be on George Clooney this year, Dujardin could be an unlikely winner.

One thing is certain: The Artist’s performance in the major categories (Picture, Direction, Acting) is what will decide how we remember Oscars 2012.

Nominated for
Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Director
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score