The day which was yesterday had a lot in it. Ginormous entertainment in college, the public assassination of Lasith Malinga, an amazing debate cum dinner with my friend Abel. But the real highlight was me getting to know the Oscar results of The Artist early in the morning and getting to watch it the very same day, late in the night.
After a long-ho-hum-irksome day, going to watch an award movie, that too black and white, that toooo silent - I thought the A/C at Sathyam Cinemas will seduce me to sleep even before the movie starts. But the unthought-of happened. Not only did I not sleep, but I treasured every single moment of the Artist experience.
Here in my review, I am not going to moot about whether it deserved the Oscar or it didn't. There is no point in doing that because (i) it has already received the Oscar and it's done and (ii) I have not watched the other-nominated movies :p So what I am intending to do it is a re-cap, a re-living of my pleasant tuesday-night experience in the Six Degrees. In fact, the lesser you talk about it, the more beautiful it gets.
The Artist tells us the story of a silent-movie hero, and his junctures and quandaries when the talking-tech-movies start replacing the silent ones and in effect, replacing even him. Jean Dujardain does the role so toppingly that one flabbergasts whether he is really acting or pretending. His silence peaches. His expressions peach. His mere looks tattle. Why? The Oscar which will be on his showcase right now speaks.
But more than Dujardain, this movie is a director's pride. The concept of the story might seem novel, but the story in itself is ordinary. In simple terms, the story can be called in two words as ego-killing, or probably false ego killing. We have seen that towards the end in My Fair Lady and so many other movies. But what makes the Artist a classic is, the direction. Nothing else.
Why, this movie could have been done as a normal movie. Why silent? This movie could have been a color-movie. Why black and white? The director gleams from his basics, with every step towards the perfection, with every step a footmark in the making of a classic.
The scene where Miller hugs Valentin's suit, the scene where a flaccid feather falls lightly and ends up as a blast, each and every scene of Uggy the dog, the Bang! scene at the end, the nightmare of Valentine and....WAIT! Why am I telling all these!! No point reading this unless you watch the movie!!
As I said, the less you speak about it, the more beautiful it gets. Nevertheless, the movie has in it some bittersweet scenes, fantabulous humour and everything you expect from a classic. The success of the movie lies when each and every viewer start empathizing for Valentin. The laugh when Valentine laughs, they cry when Valentin cries and they dance within, when Valentin dances. And how this movie transforms itself from a silent-movie to a talking one in the climax was speechless. The quote "Winners do not do different things, they do the same things differently" gets exemplified here.
Anyways, hats off to Michel Hazanavicius. Any aspiring director or budding cameraman must take the Artist as their Bible.Got to mention here about Uggy the dog - I have never seen a mesmerizing a pet like it till date in any movie. I wish there was an Academy Award for the Best Animactor :D
Silence is the speech of love, the music of the spheres above.!
Highly Recommended !
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