"The Artist" Reinvents Silent Pictures

O.K. I didn't want to like "The Artist." I've had it up to here with Hollywood remakes. Even Broadway is adapting Hollywood blockbusters for the stage. Is there an original idea out there! At the last Screenwriting Expo, more than one manager insisted that to break into the biz, you should take an old story and put a new twist on it. And to be honest, it worked reasonably well for the Cinderella remake, "Enchanted." (Though the over the top Alladin climax was a mess.)

So I should be morally opposed to, "The Artist," because it puts two old stories together – the over done, "A Star is Born" and "Singing in the Rain." Bigger-than-life movie star George Valentin (Best Actor Oscar winner Jean Dujarin) fades into oblivion with the decline of silent pictures as his young love interest, Peppy Miller, (the lovely Bérénice Bejohe) rises to stardom with the talkies.

French director (Best Director winner) Michel Hazanavicius chose to make a black and white silent picture. I'll admit here that I'm not a big fan of silent movies because I can't stand the fake, theatrical posturing and mugging. But, "The Artist" transcends the limitations of the silent form. Michel reinvents silent pictures by using a naturalistic acting style, exquisite cinematography, and modern storytelling devices such as opening with a silent film within a silent film. But what really makes it stand out are the clever, charming moments. In one touching moment, Peppy snuggles up to Valentin's jacket on the coat rack as if she is embracing the man. The actress is so totally invested in the hug that when Valentin catches her, he flashes a surprised, then amused grin that lights up his whole face. Sigh. Did I mention the incredible chemistry between these two charismatic actors?

A Facebook friend complained that Dujarin won best actor without uttering a word of dialogue. (Did he actually see the film?) But, as they taught us in Film 101, a movie is moving pictures. You should be able to understand the story with the sound turned off. Jean Dujarin, as George Valentin, goes through a full character arch from arrogance to falling in love to hitting rock bottom without the crutch of dialogue. And he kept me engaged in every scene. And he can tap dance! I'd say the Oscar was well deserved.

"The Artist" is more than a homage to the silent film era, it transcends the form. It presents a universal theme: When the old ways no longer work, ego may hinder us from adapting to the new ways, but in the end love conquers all.

It's not hard to see why it won Best Picture. You can see the love in every frame.

Movie blessings!
Jana Segal
www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

"Frost/Nixon"

OK. I'm sappy when it comes to our country. I cry when I hear the national anthem. I wept as I watched the airplanes crash into the World Trade Center not only for the lost lives but because I suspected it would result in some loss of our freedom as Americans. And I still have unresolved feelings of anger that our country was misled and polarized by the Bush administration.

There are two biopics in theaters now that deal with presidents who shattered Americans' trust in our government. I believe that biopics can be very powerful when they deal with our unresolved issues. I went to these films to find some kind of understanding and resolution. Unfortunately, the film "W" doesn't begin to deal with my issues with Bush. Oddly, director Oliver Stone seems to make excuses for Bush. No matter what he did, party boy George could never win his daddy's approval. Maybe I'm not there yet, but I have no need to sympathize with the spoiled rich kid portrayed here. This shallow justification was just as unsatisfying as the acting. I was always keenly aware that I was watching an actor (Josh Brolin) playing the President.

"Frost/Nixon" is based on the famous news special in which British talk show host, David Frost (Michael Sheen), tried to coax a confession out of former President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) for his part in Watergate after he is pardoned by President Ford. Media savvy David risks an insanely huge sum of money for the interview in hopes of getting commercial sponsors and more credibility so he can get back his New York talk show and his table at Sardi's. I found myself rooting for this second rate talk show host to convince the intellectually superior Nixon to finally take responsibility for the cover up and for hurting the American people. I discovered, along with Frost, the importance of uncovering the truth as a much needed resolution. The acting and the writing (Peter Morgan) are thoroughly compelling. I wasn't watching actors, I was watching Frost and Nixon. It was a pleasure watching them in their "no holds barred" debate.

I found "Frost/Nixon" infinitely more satisfying than "W". Director Ron Howard wisely saw America's need for the truth and addressed it. Hmm. Perhaps we could use a "Frost/Bush" interview...

Movie Blessings!

Jana Segal

OSCAR UPDATE

Frost/Nixon Won Best Picture, Frank Langella won Best Actor, Ron Howard won Best Director, Peter Morgan won Best Adapted Screenplay, Mike Hill and Daniel P. Hanley won Best Editing

"Slumdog Millionaire"

by guest reviewer Josh Valentine
Indiebum

Is America ready for Bollywood? With filmmakers like Danny Boyle integrating Bollywood styles with his own terrific, seasoned style in his new film “Slumdog Millionaire,” cultural cinema desegregation is not the final answer in modern filmmaking – it is the beginning of something new. Without a doubt, Boyle’s new work is a masterpiece, proving he is one of our greatest directors of this generation.

“Slumdog Millionaire” is the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a young man under suspicion after a winning streak on India’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” In America that show has become somewhat irrelevant (is it even on anymore?) but for Jamal, the show means everything. Not for the money, but for his one and only love Latika (Frieda Pinto) who he feels he can win by appearing on her favorite program.

We learn that Jamal has lived a very interesting life - one might consider a sometimes dangerous life. But for Jamal this life has taught him the answers he needs to become the man he is destined to become. Coincidentally, those answers are the strangely yet inventively the answers to the questions he is asked on the television program. First-time Boyle collaborator Simon Beaufoy (the Oscar nominated writer of “The Full Monty”) intertwines beautifully the story of Jamal’s fruitful life and the questions on the program to paint the intriguingly poignant story of his main character’s growth. It’s genuinely refreshing to see film narrative portrayed in such an original way, and Beaufoy’s script is simply one of the best this year.

While Beaufoy’s script has not gone unnoticed in critics’ circles, something that may be missed is the strong performance of Dev Patel as Jamal. His portrayal is strikingly profound and at the same time ultimately inspiring. Patel has a wondrous quality in his eyes when he shares scenes with Pinto’s Latika. We can see the yearning and true love of his character – an honest performance by a young man who has the potential for bigger and better things.
This is the second coming-of-age film to impress this year (the first was “The Wackness,” although that film did have a larger amount of detractors), although its crowd pleasing nature is no surprise. With some of the better films of this century under his belt such as “28 Days Later…,” “Millions” and last year’s sci-fi opus “Sunshine,” Boyle has proved himself the forerunner for best director of the past ten years. With “Slumdog Millionaire,” Boyle chose to find yet another film style to re-invent. It’s certainly a stronger film in terms of coming-of-age than “The Wackness” (although Jonathan Levine’s debut was an excellent showing of early nineties indie grit) and affirms that Boyle has the uncanny knack for outshining his colleagues.

This will be Boyle’s second film to be honored by Oscar nominations (his drug film “Trainspotting” was nominated in 1997), most likely in the adapted screenplay and best picture categories, and one can only hope the Academy will enjoy the film as much as audiences. It’s a grand piece for Boyle, who again demonstrates his ability to take something that he loves (film) and illustrate it in new and exciting ways. One of the strongest films of the year, “Slumdog Millionaire” should be at the top of your must-see list.

OSCAR ALERT:

"Slumdog Millionaire" won Best Picture, Danny Boyle won Best Director, Simon Beaufoy won Best Adapted Screenplay, Anthony Dod Mantle won Best Cinematography, Chris Dickens won Best Editing