Movie Review: The Artist

Before I actually review this movie, I feel obligated to tell you what I think of the Academy Awards. That is, I used to watch them religiously with my mom and sister. I kept up with Hollywood so much as a teenager and young adult. (See Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.) I watched old movies and contemporary movies, and I kept up with A-list actors and actresses. I knew who wore what and which acceptance speech was the best (Roberto Benigni for "Life is Beautiful" ). Looking back, I can see what a ridiculous waste of time it all was, but it really became a waste of time in 2002, when "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" didn't win best picture. I was getting irritated with "The Academy's" best picture choices in 2000, but I still watched for tradition's sake. It must've been 2004 when I called it quits for good. After Johnny Depp didn't win the award for best actor in "Pirates of the Caribbean," I decided "The Academy" couldn't be trusted anymore. I felt like I had invested so much time into something that was self-aggrandizing and quite frankly, morally corrupt. I quit watching and haven't watched them since.

It's difficult to be an American, though, and not hear rumblings about the Oscars. So I knew going into The Artist that it had won the award for best picture this year. That was enough to lower my expectations significantly. Additionally, one of my friends told me she wasn't that impressed with it, which lowered my expectations further. So perhaps the reason I ended up liking "The Artist" so much is because my expectations were abysmally low, and we all know that low expectations are the key to happiness in life.

Still, I like to think the movie was good in and of itself. It was a bit odd to watch a black-and-white silent movie in such high-definition, but after I got past that, I was able to enjoy the whole delightful story. The lead actors had magnificent facial expressions, and the set details were . . . perfect. I'm still trying to work out the story in my mind because I think it can be read as an extended metaphor for old-age and youthfulness, but that is perhaps a post for another day. At any rate, it was lovely. It made me think, and it made me laugh. It made me feel some serious respect for the people who made the movie, and it made me think for just a second that maybe "The Academy" is getting off its high horse.


Thing I'm thankful for: glorious weather