The Artist

[Shawn Robbins]

I certainly agree that the film kind of over-stays its welcome after about 60 minutes in. They should have trimmed the early acts a little bit.

[CloneWars]

I actually think in the long run this film will be very much be remembered as a classic.

[IndustriousAngel]

BThis is a beautifully realised joke and at the same time a declaration of love for good old Hollywood. (That's why it got so many Oscar nominations i think)The film is clever, the actors get their chance to "milk the giant cow", the dog is sweet, the music and costumes fitting, the jokes are funny ... these are very enjoyable 100 minutes! Still, the story is rather simple and lacks tension. So, only a "B" from me because I don't see the need to rewatch this - I'd rather watch "Frankenstein jr." one more time, that's funnier in almost every scene while also at the same time being a clever joke / love declaration.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

This film will be forgetten in a year.

[egoplant]

I actually think in the long run this film will be very much be remembered as a classic.

This film will be forgotten before the year runs out.

[baumer]

Ask yourself this, what film won best picture the year Saving Private Ryan came out?You don't remember that film and you won't remember this one either.

[4815162342]

I remember Shakespeare in Love and it is a good film. Was it better than Saving Private Ryan? No, I don't think so, but it is not an egregious and terrible win.Then again, I don't reside in Baumer Land.

[acsc1312]

Yeah, you can't use that argument this year because there's not a film that's SPR territory and the Artist has been sweeping every precursor so it won't be a surprise.

[ladyevenstar22]

well i finally saw it , and i have nothing bad to say about it, not in the slightest! its a really sweet movie , very funny and bittersweet, i had a smile on my face practically the whole time, and its really silent but weirdly enough its not a deterrent i found myself deeply engaged in the movie, i'd realize after a while some sequences didnt even have music as a noise background , it got so silent at times that i was surprised when music would start playing , his dream was really funny coz at first i didnt understand but as he realized there was sound so did I (oh right in his reality there really is no sound for nothing ) clever!the dog was amazing , BEST DOG EVER!(and i aint no fan of the canine in general) but best part for me was how well the actors transmitted their emotions i felt it all, seriously at the end i was clapping yay!!!this movie is so different , so original it stand out in the sea of films and their usual drama, i'll be thrilled if this wins best pic but even more if jean dujardin wins best actor he is the artist!random thoughts i got a kick out of seeing james cromwell as dujardin's chauffeur good interactions between the two, penelope miller had the sourest face ever i woudl have dumped her faster than a hot potato for berenice character who was so refreshing and happydid anyone pass the whole film reading lips too impatient to wait for the scarce dialogues,well doing that and knowing jean voice from watching his sitcom i could tell the way his lips form he said the word with french pronounciation (way before his one line at the end,also helps if you're bilingual like me)i don't remember seeing any silent movies but i guess i loved it because i also loved watching TMC classics when i had tv/cable, something about the acting and way of filming felt more intense and meaningful women actually looked like women and dressed like it, (OT:something that shocked me watching the GG was how tiny all the actresses who presented had tiny waist)

[hogwash13777]

"The Artist" mini-review. No spoilers.

Most of what's been said is true. Great acting, a certain charm to it, a likable romantic plotline, neat twists, it's all very enjoyable and nice. I don't see amazing, best picture, instant classic written all over it, but it works none-the-less. If this was just another movie, not winning awards left and right, it would be considered refreshing, charming, and remembered sweetly as a perfectly fine movie.

Doesn't cross into the upper tier of 2011 movies, but it's close based off of the acting, sweet story, and the nostalgia factor.

"Love it." or 8.5 out of 10

Edited February 4, 2012 by hogwash13777

[PoeticProse22]

I finally saw this and loved it. Very beautiful, charming film. The acting and directing are top notch and overall I'd place this film as my favorite of the year, very narrowly edging past Midnight in Paris.

9.3 out of 10.

[AniNate]

May need some time to think about this one. It's a well made film that uses its gimmick extremely effectively and I really loved the relationship between Peppy and George. But the tone was kind of uneven, especially towards the end. George's depression is layed on pretty thick and I was wondering if I should really be laughing at the humor at his expense. I guess it's a credit to the film's acting that I felt for both the leads as much as I did.

A less rushed resolution that stabilized the tone shift would probably put this in my top three of the year. As it is I can certainly understand the Oscar buzz, but it's just shy of one of my favorites.

A-

Edited February 8, 2012 by tribefan695

[Gopher]

Ask yourself this, what film won best picture the year Saving Private Ryan came out?You don't remember that film and you won't remember this one either.

I'll certainly remember, regardless of quality, that a silent movie opened in 2011. That's not unforgettable.

[baumer]

The Artist will end up being the Pet Rock of the film world.

[MovieMan89]

The Artist will end up being the Pet Rock of the film world.

Lol, I totally knew you would loathe this movie Baumer. I mean such an understated movie must feel like water torture to a guy who thinks a film requires at least a dozen explosions to ever be worthy of an A. :PI will say I think this movie is already dipping a tad into the overrated pool, but far far worse films have won BP in the past decade than this. The Hurt Locker, No Country For Old Men, Crash, and Chicago for example. Edited February 15, 2012 by MovieMan89

[Travod]

After finally seeing The Hurt Locker... it's pretty great. And No Country... is amazing.

[Andy Stitzer]

Uhhh, looking back at 2009 for a moment...

The Hurt Locker < Inglorious Bastards

The Hurt Locker < Up

The Hurt Locker < District 9

The Hurt Locker < Up in the Air

The Hurt Locker < A Serious Man

The Hurt Locker < Avatar

The Hurt Locker = Precious

The Hurt Locker > The Blind Side

(*I haven't seen An Education)

In a year when SO MANY better films were nominated, The Hurt Locker did not deserve its Best Picture win at the Academy Awards.

As for 2011:

The Artist = The Descendants

The Artist = Midnight in Paris

The Artist = Moneyball

The Artist > The Help

The Artist > The Tree of Life

The Artist > Hugo

(*I haven't seen Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close or War Horse, mainly because I've heard they're not very good).

In a comparatively weak year for cinema, I believe The Artist deserves to win Best Picture; however, I would not be disappointed if its equals (The Descendants, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, or even Hugo) won instead.

[FTF]

Lol, I totally knew you would loathe this movie Baumer. I mean such an understated movie must feel like water torture to a guy who thinks a film requires at least a dozen explosions to ever be worthy of an A.

I will say I think this movie is already dipping a tad into the overrated pool, but far far worse films have won BP in the past decade than this. The Hurt Locker, No Country For Old Men, Crash, and Chicago for example.

Woah, woah, woah, no way NCFOM can be mentioned in the same breath as those other 3 totally undeserving bp winners. No Country is a fantasic movie and while I feel TWBB should have won that year, No Country is definitely worthy of a bp win.

I also agree The Artist isn't up to par with some of the upper crust of bp winners/noms of the past, but in a somewhat mediocre year, it's just as deserving as any other movie in 2011 (though I'll personally be rooting for a Hugo upset).

Edited February 15, 2012 by FTF

[Michael Gary Scott]

Agreed No Country is great.

[baumer]

Lol, I totally knew you would loathe this movie Baumer. I mean such an understated movie must feel like water torture to a guy who thinks a film requires at least a dozen explosions to ever be worthy of an A. :PI will say I think this movie is already dipping a tad into the overrated pool, but far far worse films have won BP in the past decade than this. The Hurt Locker, No Country For Old Men, Crash, and Chicago for example.

That's such a misconception about me. My top 50 list includes a littany of films that are smaller in scope. American Beauty, Swingers, Rounders, Mississippi Burning, JFK, are just a few of the films that I love. But the Artist is just a gimmick. It's not a real movie to me.