The Artist

When I first saw the trailer for this movie I thought it was one of those nonsensical adverts about switching off your phone in the cinema. I was glad to learn I was way off as time seemed to have reversed and the age of the silent movie was upon us once more. This movie shows great character and reverts film lovers and maker alike back to the importance of the fundamentals.

Star of the movies George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is at his peak, being invited to all the latest parties and getting awards for his movies, he one day stumbles in to aspiring actress Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). Though George is married the two of them blossom a flirtatiously harmless relationship, but all of that soon becomes insignificant when Georges boss and director of movies Al Zimmer, (John Goodman) tells him that the company have decided to jump on the bandwagon of making talkies. Movies where the actors speak and the audience can hear them on screen. Adamant not to change what he knows and insisting it's a phase George decides to go off on his own and keep the age of the silent movie alive. On the flip side and acting simultaneously with his fall away from the public eye, Peppy Miller is the new household name due to her number of leading roles in the talkie movies.

It a roller coaster ride of ups and downs and all without sound. The key to this movie is its score as it allows us as the audience to better relate with the characters emotions, to sympathise with the good guys, to feel anger at the bad, despair at the unfair and joy and laughter where it's due. There's not a lot more I can say about the movie should it feel like I am its personal audio description. Brilliant for us younger film watchers to now not only experience black and white movies but silent as well, and to the more aged to remember where it all began.