Underplayed Gems

The Artist (2011)

The Artist poster
Directed by
Michel Hazanavicius
Genre
drama film, comedy film, silent film, comedy drama, romance film, romantic comedy film
Country
France, Belgium
Runtime
1h 40m
Rated
PG-13
Rating
7.4 of 10 from 3,546 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

In 1920s Hollywood, a rising young actress crosses paths with a famous silent film star as the film industry shifts to talking pictures. Their relationship develops against the backdrop of his fading career and her growing success.

whimsicalnostalgicbittersweetcharmingtendermelancholiclightheartedromantic

What happens

The Artist is a 2011 French-Belgian comedy-drama film in the style of a black-and-white silent film or part-talkie. It was written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, produced by Thomas Langmann and stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. The story takes place in Hollywood, between 1927 and 1932, and focuses on the relationship between a rising young actress and an older silent film star as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by the "talkies". The Artist received widespread critical acclaim and won many accolades. Dujardin won Best Actor at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered. The film was nominated for six Golden Globes, the most of any 2011 film, and won three: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Original Score, and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Dujardin. In January 2012, it was nominated for twelve BAFTAs, the most of any film from 2011, and won seven, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Dujardin, and Best Original Screenplay for Hazanavicius. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director for Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Dujardin, making him the first French actor ever to win in this category. It was also the first non-American/non-British film to ever win Best Picture, the first mainly silent film to win since 1927's Wings won at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929, the first film presented in the 4:3 aspect ratio to win since 1953's From Here to Eternity, the first black-and-white film to win since 1993's Schindler's List, though the latter contained limited colour sequences; and the first 100% black-and-white film to win since 1960's The Apartment. In France it was nominated for ten César Awards, winning six, including Best Film, Best Director for Hazanavicius, and Best Actress for Bejo. The Artist has received more awards than any other French film. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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