Film Review: The Artist

The Artist directed by Michel Hazanavicius (La Petite Reine, La Classe Américaine, JD Prod, PG-13, 100 minutes)

Starring Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, and John Goodman.

How Did We Survive Ten Years Ago? 

Do you ever feel like life is passing you by? Do you remember life before a smart phone? Considering the myriad of people daily glued to their iPhone, a smart-phone-less world seems unfathomable. Likewise, what magic innovation will make us look back on 2012 and chuckle at how primitive we used to live? This sense of change surrounds the Academy-Award-nominated film, The Artist.

Set in Hollywood from 1927 to 1932, The Artist portrays the fall of the silent film and the rise of the “talkies”. Using black-and-white techniques and no dialogue, The Artist pays homage to the golden age of cinema.

Silence Is Golden

George Valentin (Jean Dujardin)) is a silent film star. Sharing the screen with his star sidekick and pet dog, Valentin signifies the best of a fledgling industry. Celebrating his latest premier, Valentin bumps into an admiring fan, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), and makes a show of the encounter for the press photographers.

The next day, Peppy and George’s picture appears on the front page of Variety. Encouraged by the uplifting headline, Peppy endeavors to become a movie star and signs up as an extra in the latest film. Smitten by Peppy, George encourages her to find her voice in the business and she begins to work her way up the credits.

After a couple years, the studio head, Al Zimmer (John Goodman), publicizes the end of silent film production and the beginning of talking pictures. Flippantly, George writes off the talking picture trend and begins funding his own silent pictures.

Peppy, on the other hand, signs with Zimmer’s studio as a headlining actress starring in the latest talking pictures. Coincidentally, both actors’ films debut in the wake of the 1929 stock-market crash. Having invested all of his money in his silent picture, George needs a hit in order to maintain financial viability.

In Defense of Acclaim 

On the whole, Michael Hazanavicius’ script breaks no boundaries. An entertaining but well-tread plot, The Artist gains acclaim for its production, cinematography, and acting.

First, the use of silence and black and white is powerful. For the most part, I felt like I was watching a move from the 1920s. From the lack of widescreen to the vintage score, I was caught up in the magic of a “new” medium as a person in the 1920s would have felt.

Yet, I wish they would have cast completely unknown actors. Even though I did not recognize the leads, having John Goodman play a crucial part was distracting. I know him from too many movies to suspend my disbelief.

The use of sound, however, mesmerizes. Without dialogue, the viewer relies on the score and the occasional vintage caption in order to infer the plot. When The Artist chooses to use sound, the effect becomes all the more powerful. Upon learning of the talking picture, George has a nightmare depicted in sound; his glass clanks against the counter, his dog barks, and he hears laughter outside. These simple noises exist in stark contrast to the dreamy score that surrounds the rest of the film.

Second, the cinematography shines. In every scene, it seems like the camera is perfectly placed—not like a modern picture where it’s from an unfathomable angle, but from a classic perspective re-imagined. Whether filming the reflection of an actor or the feet, every shot feels both fresh and classic simultaneously.

Finally, the acting is impeccable. Of course, without sound the actors must over-accentuate in order to convey emotion. Such actions were continuously conveyed perfectly. Having seen George Clooney in The Descendants, Dujardin gets my vote, so far, for the best actor Academy Award. Dujardin’s performance is magical.

A Silent Film in 2012 = Brilliant? 

But I question whether The Artist receives its praise for the quality of the movie or for the idea it conveys. Yes, paying homage to the golden age of cinema by replicating it in modern society carries much to extol. Had this story, cinematography, and acting existed outside of a silent, black-and-white film, I’m not sure that I would have liked it as much.

Exploring change while remaining firm in a sense of nostalgia, The Artist reminisces on the beginning of the film industry. With fantastic production, cinematography, and acting, The Artist clearly deserves critical recognition, but I question whether its use of silence and black and white veils the less spectacular portions of the movie. Nevertheless, The Artist is worth a watch.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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Film Review: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy directed by Tomas Alfredson (Focus Features, R, 128 minutes)

Starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.

Based on the Same Name 

Based on the 1974 novel of the same name by John le Carre, a former operations agent for the British agency of MI6, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy joins the long list of Oscar-nominated movies for 2011 based on bestselling novels that are perhaps better than the films of which they are based. The first in what is a trilogy of spy novels; the film depicts English spy George Smiley (Gary Oldman) as he is pitted against a Soviet mole inside the MI6.

Silence as Suspense 

MI6 Headquarters, London

After a forced, disgraced retirement from MI6, George Smiley is thrust back into service to oust a mole from within the ranks of his former employer. Unsure of his new re-appointment, and obviously still bitter about his forced retirement, Gary Oldman is silent for almost thirty minutes at the beginning of the film. Much like in the novel, silence on the part George Smiley is persistent, and director Tomas Alfredson uses the silence as a means to both intrigue and frustrate the viewer. Silence adds to the suspense of the movie, as those like myself unfamiliar with what actual espionage would be like, expect exotic locations and huge explosions. The silence shows that no exotic location is needed, no huge action sequence, but rather intriguing puzzles that confound the viewer.

Cast with superstar British actors, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy introduces them one at a time. “Tinker” is the codename for Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), “Tailor” is Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), “Soldier” is Roy Bland (Ciaran Hinds), and “Spy” would be the unknown mole in MI6 that “Beggarman”, or George Smiley, is trying to find throughout the film.

Paranoia 

Not only does the silence add to the suspense of the movie, but the constant feeling of dread and paranoia certainly adds a feeling of weariness to the overall tension of the film. Sequestered meetings with ubiquitous brown tweed suits in closed rooms and quiet, dark conversations in shadowy corners of London add to an atmosphere of suspense and great pondering on the part of the audience.

While the movie doesn’t pander to the stereotypes of current thrillers, I posit that such a position makes Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy absolutely superb. Without the excessive explosions or exotic locations, this movie offers a cigarette-filled rendering of things past. With clues to ponder against the background of the poker-faced and quiet George Smiley, words pierce just as hard as bullets would in a lesser film. If you love suspense and intrigue, this movie is for you. However, if you don’t like thinking through things and have a hard time piecing clues together on your own, I would wait until DVD.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5

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Posted by: Andrew Jacobson

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Guest Film Review: The Grey

The Grey directed by Joe Carnahan (Open Road Films, R, 117 minutes)
Starring Liam Neeson, Dermont Mulroney, and Frank Grillo

“Dealing” with Death 

Many films in recent time depict the violent collision of man and nature (as if we ever were truly at odds with it in the first place). The Grey, in many ways, rather than simply offering an action packed narrative, tries desperately to use this cold struggle as a discussion on the inevitability of death and the various ways contemporary men deal with it. I say “men” and literally meaning male, because the only death we see of a woman is in such striking contrast to what the males face. This ”dealing” is stretched over two hours of claustrophobia in the most open of wilderness.

The story centers on a broken anti-hero, ready for suicide, named Ottman (Liam Neeson), who awakes to the bloody aftermath of a plane crash in the frozen wilderness of Alaska. His companions are a collection of oil-rig ruffians who fill all the prototypical clichéd roles we often see in fellowship movies on a quest.

Photo by Kimberly French

In this case, the quest is survival. It does not take long for these men to realize that the cold, desolation, and the prospect of never being found is not their greatest enemy, it is the indigenous grey wolves (which at times are unsuccessfully depicted by CG and have moments of looking quite fake).

And thus begins a sort of Jets-versus-Sharks movie, only one of the gangs didn’t just barely survive, hitting the tundra at 400 miles an hour without food or guns or any other truly worthwhile survival supplies. Not to mention it was on the turf of a gang of dogs the size of men (still difficult to truly imagine), who are also, in nearly every way, physically superior to man, especially in this environment.

The writing is definitely on the wall quite early on and the foreshadowing doesn’t disappoint, doesn’t deliver a miracle, nor provide a respite from the existential uneasiness the film conveys.

The Power of Liam Neeson

The Grey definitely provides reasons to go out of your way to watch it, not the least of which is Liam Neeson. He once again shows his subtlety in character development and never overdoes it. Always powerful, he often takes a back seat to watch the heat and flash of the other characters, which gives them space to develop in a very short amount of time. With occasional lapses in script quality, mainly due to believability, Neeson ushers forth the text with a gravitas that few of his contemporaries could muster.

Silence as a Sound 

On equal footing with Neeson’s acting is The Grey’s treatment of sound design and its cinematic depiction of the cold northern territories. It engages you in unique, beautiful ways and one is struck in particular by the moments of silence. They happen at the right time and bring with it both horror and a haunting certainty that for once humanity’s hubris holds no sway. One gets the feeling that this silence was to be a supportive beam in the architecture of the narrative, and it was indeed successful.

The Philosophical Conundrum of a Recommendation 

The Grey is not for everyone, but not just because of its vulgarity, violence, and intense situations. In one corner will be moviegoers who see the addition of philosophical ideas in what should be a simple survival movie as tiresome and pedantic. How dare we go to the movies to think! In the other corner will be those who find these philosophical ideas intriguing, but are surprised by the fact that redemption is mysteriously absent and will grow confused and disillusioned by the sequence of events that befall the seven survivors. It asks questions but delivers no answers, and thank goodness. It is sometimes a strange joy to see a movie that brings with it terrible quiet, horrific beauty, and the truth that humans are still fragile.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

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Eric Barnum is a choral composer and director, currently teaching at The University of Wisconsin -Oshkosh. He is currently in the process of completing his DMA from the University of Washington under the direction of Dr. Geoffrey Boers. In addition to his love for music, he loves philosophy, theology, food, and beer. More content from Eric can be found at http://ericwilliambarnum.wordpress.com/ or at http://ewbmusic.com/