The Artist

[HadleyH]

Yes, yes,yessssssssssssssssssss:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Yes, yes,yessssssssssssssssssss:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

Executive producer Harvey Weinstein has announced that he will expand "The Artist"s distribution to 2,000 U.S. theaters this Friday.

 

[ButteMT61]

Care to elaborate? I am more confused by this reply than the idea that you have a gripe that Michael Hazavanicus is a fan of Billy Wilder..

Not Billy Wilder. Roman Polanski...

 

[ButteMT61]

Did anyone else pick up on the fact that it was shot 100% in LA? That alone is fantastic. I've heard the arguments that "It's a French movie" and I call bunk. It took the French (with many American actors and filmed in LA) to make a fantastic movie about the movie biz in the 20s'/30's. Good on them for making a fantastic film that gets better every time I see it. Hollywood needs to wake up. I hope this is the call.

 

[LizzieMaine]

All this whining about "those Hollywood Elitists gave it to a pretentious art film to show us common Joes where to get off" makes me laugh to the point of hysteria. There was, in fact, a pretentious art film on the nominee list -- Tree of Life, one of the most pretentious, overwrought pictures I've ever seen -- and it got shut out.

"The Artist" is not an "art film" by any stretch of the imagination. If you want to see a silent "art film" watch "Sunrise." "The Artist" is not "Sunrise." If it had actually been made in 1929, it'd have been a pleasant programmer, the sort of thing Universal churned out by the dozen for the small-town market, but it would have in no way been considered an "art film." It tells a story, a very simple, straightforward story that makes you feel deeply for the characters, and leaves you feeling happy and satisfied at the end. That's exactly the thing Hollywood needs to make *more* of, not less, if it wants to survive.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

"The Artist" is not an "art film" by any stretch of the imagination.

... and the French realize this. On their own news website blogs ("Le Monde", "Le Figaro", etc.), they're complaining that Hollywood would only give the 'Best Picture' award to a French film that isn't an intellectual masterpiece, was not filmed in France but in Los Angeles, and doesn't have French spoken dialogue.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
But even the French can't deny that "The Artist"s musical score was quite good!



This little piece perfectly conveys the fantasy of breezy '20s Hollywood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glpKknHtisI&feature=related


And here's the music from the opening scene's 'movie-within-a-movie', the overwrought "A Russian Affair": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVOZ9tAn6Hc&feature=player_embedded#!

 

[ButteMT61]

All this whining about "those Hollywood Elitists gave it to a pretentious art film to show us common Joes where to get off" makes me laugh to the point of hysteria. There was, in fact, a pretentious art film on the nominee list -- Tree of Life, one of the most pretentious, overwrought pictures I've ever seen -- and it got shut out...

100% agreed! I hated that movie, except that it had some beautiful scenes. Waste of a lot of time watching that one.
The Artist could not have been more of a "regular joe" kinda film. Especially today with so many losing lower-tech jobs to hi-tech. It made me think of how I feel - constantly trying to stay relevant at work...

 

[DrDialtone]

This is a really stunning film. For all intents and purposes it should have never been made. Silent, B&W, both enough to put the kibosh on getting it made. It proves a point that good movies, with good acting and good writing will sell tickets. It's absolutely amazing that this film got chosen for best picture of the year - gives me hope!!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

It proves a point that good movies, with good acting and good writing will sell tickets.

Not sell a lot of tickets, but enough. By Hollywood standards, "The Artist" was not an expensive film to make. The Weinstein Company has spent a chunk of money promoting it ... but even then, its worldwide box office take has made up for the costs.


U.S. grosses thus far (about $28 million) have been very small by Hollywood 'blockbuster' standards ... but "The Artist" was never conceived to be a blockbuster, anyway. It's more the kind of film that Sam Goldwyn would have gone out on a limb to make.

 

[Mr Vim]

That is good news about a wider distribution, I have a lot of folks that said they wanted to see it here and despite my best efforts, the theater would not carry.

Hadley! Great photo, I love that dog. And I absolutely enjoyed Dujardin's acceptance speech. "I love your country!" That was wonderful. I was jumping up and down in my command center at work last night on a night shift. Myself and one other film lover, both dressed in Coast Guard uniform, started tap dance (in boots) when The Artist won it's much deserved awards. The best was dancing just as Dujardin did as well... sort of hard in boots, but I managed.

 

[HadleyH]

Hadley! Great photo, I love that dog. And I absolutely enjoyed Dujardin's acceptance speech. "I love your country!" That was wonderful. I was jumping up and down in my command center at work last night on a night shift....

Thank you Mr Vim!

I agree, Dujardin's speech was great and that dog is adorable!!!!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
After reading too many 'netizen' reviews this morning, it became clear to me that the people who wrote them either loved "The Artist" or really disliked it. Few seemed to be neutral on the subject.

 

[HadleyH]

.
After reading too many 'netizen' reviews this morning, it became clear to me that the people who wrote them either loved "The Artist" or really disliked it. Few seemed to be neutral on the subject.

I agree!

And for all of us here who love the 1920s ( and 30s etc...) it was like something magical A silent film wins an Oscar in 2012! omg!!!!

It's so amazing, its unreal and totally beautiful! it's almost like we have been transported to the Twenties for a moment in our lifetime !:eusa_clap

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

This is a definite must-see for me! Haven't been to a cinema in some 15 years because normally there's never really anything that I want to see. But this is an exception!

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I just read this Blog regarding the clothes in the Artist. He has a point. But honestly it didn't bother me much. One of the extras had a nice beltback suit when they rescued Valentin from the fire.


http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/the-artist-mens-clothes/
(Link may have some spoilers)

 

[AntonAAK]

.
After reading too many 'netizen' reviews this morning, it became clear to me that the people who wrote them either loved "The Artist" or really disliked it. Few seemed to be neutral on the subject.

From the reviews that you have posted I think they can be categorised into 'people who have seen it' against 'people who haven't'!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I just read this Blog regarding the clothes in the Artist.

Most of what this blog says is true, but the author makes inaccurate or incorrect statements here and there. Some examples:



"In the close up, you can see that Dujardin wears a tuxedo with flaps on the pockets – again, a highly informal detail that no man would have worn back then."

False: on American tuxedos, flaps were the norm throughout the 1920s and most of the '30s.



"...the cut of the waistcoat – with the bottom button fastened – is not the way men wore it back in the day."

False: In the U.S., waistcoat bottom buttons were usually worn fastened.



"While the film techniques and approach of the silent film may be very authentic, the clothes are clearly modern."

Not completely true. On certain supporting actors and many of the extras, the clothes are authentic vintage, even 1930s vintage. And all of the neckties worn by Jean Dujardin are authentic vintage 1930s pieces.

 

[sheeplady]

All this whining about "those Hollywood Elitists gave it to a pretentious art film to show us common Joes where to get off" makes me laugh to the point of hysteria. There was, in fact, a pretentious art film on the nominee list -- Tree of Life, one of the most pretentious, overwrought pictures I've ever seen -- and it got shut out.

I think they might be confusing the term "art film" with a film being creative/ a work of art. Primarily because so few movies are works of art anymore.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I think they might be confusing the term "art film" with a film being creative/ a work of art. Primarily because so few movies are works of art anymore.

Meanwhile, some silent movie aficionados are criticizing "The Artist" for not being 'arty', and for being too modern.