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The Artist

Dixie_Amazon

Practically Family
Messages
523
Location
Redstick, LA
It has finally arrived in Baton Rouge! The first showing is scheduled for 12:01am Friday. My assignment is to convince DH see it before the weekend is out.
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PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
Just seen it. Loved it!!

Went to see it in my local 1930's cinema which was so appropriate for this type of motion picture.

The Leads were excellent and that includes the little Jack Russell dog :)

The use of music worked well, as did the use of 'sound' when it was occasionally used. Actually in 'his dream' when he dreams 'of sound' I found that slightly disturbing, as I'd already been accustomed to the silence of the film (maybe that was the uncomfortable effect the producers were after, as it mirrors 'his' discomfort).

I also 'surprisingly' found parts of it very sad and emotional.

All-in-All...Just go and treat yourself folks to a good night or matinee out and have a chat about it over a lovely meal and glass of wine :)
 
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MissNathalieVintage

Practically Family
Messages
757
Location
Chicago
Wonderful film! It is a little slow in some parts. I really enjoyed sitting in the show house listening to the people laughing and giving their comments quitely. There was quite a bit of older people there, too and the place was packed.
 

mummyjohn

Familiar Face
Messages
84
Location
Los Angeles [-ish]
No doubt the DVD release will offer colorized, dubbed, and pan-and-scan versions.

Please, don't even joke about that.



I'm glad to hear how many people here have been taking [what I'd call] the 'proper' approach to this film. It's not about replicating a style, it's not about going against anyone's grain. It's about making a movie that people like. And that's what's happened here: when I came out of the cinema, I had the same sort of feeling you have in the morning when you wake up after a pleasant dream, and your mind only wants to just keep recalling it. It was the first time in a long time I had seen something that just looked so good and that I'd outright enjoyed so much. Everything came together so well at the end, it leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction, and a few smile wrinkles too.

Doesn't matter if it's simple, doesn't matter that the story doesn't go too deep: I had fun, and that's all that matters.
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
Well I 'liked it so much' I'm going back again to see it 'before' it leaves the BIG SCREEN :)

As far as some thoughts of it being 'slow in parts,' it is a European Movie and possibly this serves to highlight the 'transatlantic' differences and cultural conditioning of what we expect from films (as well as other things in life).

Europeans are more content at watching things unfold and savouring the different aspects of things. Possibly 'in today's modern age' our North American cousins are now more conditioned to expecting things to happen 'immediately' and 'now' without the subtlety of calculating plotlines and artistry that characterises many European movies (such as British to a degree, and certainly Spanish and French, with plenty of good measured films coming out of the former Eastern Bloc).

A few of my American chums have said to me in the past, "We American's can be very impatient!" Well you've got to be slowly-slowly catchee monkey folks , to paraphrase Kipling :)

So 'maybe' this movie was a dish more suitable to the European palate.[huh]
 
Messages
10,181
Location
Pasadena, CA
@ PADDY: Quite true. I realized how much of a difference between Europeans and us here in the States last fall on my holiday.
I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I have felt so much more anxious since my return, and we're already planning our next round there. But to be honest, I might not have liked The Artist two years ago. My wife has had me on a steady diet of "foreign" films - mainly to absorb some French before our trip. I grew to really like the pace, story lines, and general feel of them. The only time I'm bothered is when the subtitles are poorly done and illegible. Otherwise, I have changed what I like quite a bit. We are more impatient over here, no doubt about it...
 

ThesFlishThngs

One Too Many
Messages
1,007
Location
Oklahoma City
After three viewings, I'm officially smitten. First I had to get over my annoyance that it played in Plano, TX (or some such place) weeks before ever coming to the state of OK. The nerve. Then when it finally arrived last week, to play one (1)! cinema in the entire state, I had obligations for the first few days, but the Mr. and I went to a Sunday evening show and quite enjoyed it. He said, in a low-key kind of way like men can do, that it was one of the best films he'd seen in 20 years. I'd found it ever so charming, but couldn't quite put voice to my reaction to it. Maybe because of the weeks of anticipation, or just trying to process the whole of something so differentish, but it took me a while. However, like stereotypical Chinese food, within a few hours I knew I wanted more. Fortunately, my daughter was willing to be taken to pictures Tuesday afternoon, so I treated her. At the end she said to me, "That was a good one." Then proceeded to suspect I might like the dvd when it's released at Target (where she works). I didn't argue. Been trying to arrange a taking of my 91 year old great aunt, who has just been uprooted from her small town life and thrust into the City, under pressure from her children. Despite her religious and conservative convictions, I reckon this is a film with little to offend her, and much to make her smile. So far it hasn't happened, but I did manage to persuade a casual friend that she really must see it, with me in tow. This afternoon, then, I completed my third viewing, and have found my delight increasing each time. The 'slow' bits speed up, the characters become warmer and more human, and the more I know the story, the freer I am to allow my eye to wander to incidentals, like the slowly separating male and female sculptures behind Mrs. Valentin at each daily breakfast scene.
Truly, I adore this little gem, and hope to take in several more big screen viewings before it's time to resort to dvd-dom. I agree with the review I read somewhere, that said the score is a character in itself. And, being a grrl who likes guys, I would be lying if I said Mr. Dujardin wasn't beautifully suited to being filmed in b/w.
I'm so happy this film was made. :)

*spoilerish*






eta: It's so sweet at the end, when, asked to dance one more time, George finally lets us hear his voice by saying "with pleasure" (sounding ever so Maurice Chevalier). That line is a particular treat when one has read the interviews about 5 months of dance training for the scene, and 17 (or was it 18?) takes of it! With pleasure, indeed.
 
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Wambleyburger

Familiar Face
Messages
74
Location
Central Florida
Well I 'liked it so much' I'm going back again to see it 'before' it leaves the BIG SCREEN :)

As far as some thoughts of it being 'slow in parts,' it is a European Movie and possibly this serves to highlight the 'transatlantic' differences and cultural conditioning of what we expect from films (as well as other things in life).

Europeans are more content at watching things unfold and savouring the different aspects of things. Possibly 'in today's modern age' our North American cousins are now more conditioned to expecting things to happen 'immediately' and 'now' without the subtlety of calculating plotlines and artistry that characterises many European movies (such as British to a degree, and certainly Spanish and French, with plenty of good measured films coming out of the former Eastern Bloc).

A few of my American chums have said to me in the past, "We American's can be very impatient!" Well you've got to be slowly-slowly catchee monkey folks , to paraphrase Kipling :)

So 'maybe' this movie was a dish more suitable to the European palate.[huh]

Amen! I, too plan on seeing this a second time. A breath of fresh air at the cinema. Something that's been lacking for a long time.
 

Wire9Vintage

A-List Customer
Messages
411
Location
Texas
Oh, if only I were closer to Maine. I doubt my town will ever have it (but they can devote screen after screen to some such 3D garbage!), and I really don't want to go all the way to the "big" city for a movie. Woe is me.
 

LocktownDog

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,254
Location
Northern Nevada
If you get a chance, check out OSS 117: Cairo. Its the same two leads as in The Artist. A spoof of 1960's french spy films. Really well done. That's the film that forced me ... FORCED ME! ... to fall head over heels for Bérénice Bejo. :D
 

Chasseur

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,494
Location
Hawaii
If you get a chance, check out OSS 117: Cairo. Its the same two leads as in The Artist. A spoof of 1960's french spy films. Really well done. That's the film that forced me ... FORCED ME! ... to fall head over heels for Bérénice Bejo

I would strongly second that recommendation. OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, is a very fun movie and also like the Artist right up our ally. It was made with very similar filming techniques to the old 1950 and 60s spy films with some homages to Hitchcock's films as well (and some great "Star Trek" fighting ;).

[video=youtube;HYobrwvSs9Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYobrwvSs9Q[/video]
 

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