TIFF Review: The Artist

The Artist

There is a moment early on in The Artist where silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) tries to make amends with angry wife Doris (Penelope Ann Miller) by attempting to lighten the tension in the room. George and his dog commence a simple comedic routine in unison that brings a smile to your face. His wife is not amused and merely walks away in disgust. It is at this moment that it becomes clear that the audience is in for a truly special experience.

Taking place between the 1920s and the early 1930s, The Artist focuses on a time in history when silent films were on the brink of extinction with the invention of “talkies”. George Valentin is one of the big stars of the silent film era. He is adored by the masses, including the young up-and-coming actress Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), and he has a lot of clout with the film studios. When the studio head, Zimmer (John Goodman), tells George that the future of filmmaking are films with spoken dialogue, George scoffs at the idea and sees it merely as a gimmick. As the studio movies ahead with their plans to introduce “talkies” into cinema, George soon finds himself on the outside looking in. His career begins to spiral downwards and his only companions end up being his dog and his loyal chauffer Clifton (James Cromwell).

The Artist is a brilliant homage to an era of cinema that is gone, but not forgotten. Director Michel Hazanavicius creates a wonderful film that conveys a strong and moving story despite not having any dialogue. To say that The Artist is a technical marvel would be an understatement. The lush black and white visuals give the film an authentic feel, and the use of sound is simply stunning. For example, the scene where George is confronted by a world in which everything emits sounds but him. The use of sound helps to give the scene both a comedic, and at times horrific, effect.

Although gorgeous to look at, The Artist transcends from a mere homage film due to its depth in plot. This is as much a cautionary tale about the evils of being too prideful as it is a love letter to the cinema. George’s reluctance to accept both change and assistance from others is what leads to his downfall. Dujardin does a fantastic job of using physical gestures and expressions to display George’s state of mind through the various stages of his career. Dujardin has undeniable charisma and his scenes with Bejo are great. The pair really provide the love story with a truly magical feel.

The Artist rode into TIFF on a wave of good buzz from the Cannes Film Festival. While at times the almost defying level of hype can hurt a film, when it does not live up to people’s enhanced expectations, this is not the case here. The Artist delivers on every level as it will make you want to run out and purchase every silent film ever made. The film is a wonderful experience and it is one of the best films you will see this year.

Kissing Frogs Often Use Lots of Tongue

The Princess and the Frog

In Disney’s reworking of the classic fairy tale, The Frog Prince, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) has always dreamed of fulfilling her father’s legacy of starting up a restaurant. After one particularly bad day, Tiana meets a frog who calms to be a well known prince. Once a handsome young man, the penniless Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) was turned into a frog by the evil Dr. Facilie (Keith David). The only way to break the curse is for Prince Naveen to kiss a princess. As Tiana happens to be dressed as a princess for mardi gras, she decides to give Prince Naveen a quick kiss to see if that will work. Unfortunately the exact opposite happens and Tiana finds herself transformed into a frog as well. The pair soon find themselves on the run from Dr. Facillie’s shadow henchmen as they search for a cure to transform them back to normal.

It is nice to see Disney finally shine the light on a black princess for once, regardless of the fact that she spends the majority of the picture as a frog. I liked that Tiana is the most modern thinking female lead a Disney cartoon has had in a long time. Unfortunately the“traditional” Disney ending that this film incorporates is a bit of a slap in the face to both Tiana and young women everywhere. The Princess and the Frog uses the old-time Disney staple logic of “you can get what you want in life as long as you have a man first.” So instead of getting her restaurant first and then Prince Naveen afterwards; Tiana must do the opposite and first give up her dreams for love. Now I know that I am coming at this film from an older perspective, but is it not time for Disney to change the “prince charming is all you need” fantasy? Millions of young girls are growing up with the delusion that a husband is the key to achieving their career ambitions.

I would even be willing to ignore this fact if the male characters in this film were at least interesting, but none of them are. Prince Naveen, Lawrence (Peter Bartlett), and ‘Big Daddy’ LaBouff (John Goodman) are all one-note characters. Dr. Facilier has some nice musical moments but otherwise he comes off as a weaker version of Jaffar. Speaking of Dr. Facilier, he is by far the worst written character in the film. If you think back to all the great Disney films, the villains were just as interesting as the hero. Can you envision the Lion King without Scar? I cannot. When it comes to Dr. Facilier what do we know really? Everyone in New Orleans know he is a bad dude, but no one elaborates what he has done to earn that reputation. He apparently owes money to some evil spirits but the movie never explains how he incurred the debt in the first place. Also if Dr. Facillier has the ability to use dark magic, and is in desperate need of money, why did he not just impersonate Prince Naveen himself? It seemed rather silly using Lawrence to pull off such a ruse.

I will say this though, watching The Princess and the Frog reminded me of how much I miss the old school 2D animated films. Yes, there are some computer generated elements in the film but the bulk of the picture is a throwback to the animation style of classic Disney films of the 90’s and earlier. The character design, as well as many of the plot devices, reminded me lot of the film Aladdin. So it was not all that surprising to discover that directors Ron Clements and John Musker were also the directors behind Aladdin and other Disney flicks. The Princess and the Frog also does a good job at capturing the lushness of both New Orleans and the diverse mix of people who inhabit the city. The musical numbers are the highlights of this film as each one will have your toes tapping. The story in The Princess and the Frog may not be as compelling as the films in which it gives a nod to. Still, the movie did evoked enough nostalgia to keep me interested for a few hours at least.

Whatever Happened To...?

Fairuza Balk

Today’s selection was suggested by Mike, of You Talking To Me?, in last week’s comment section. Naturally I jumped at the chance to highlight Ms. Balk as she always had a Gina Gershon-type vibe for me. That is to say I could see her playing the tough chick, as easily as I can see her pouring her heart out in a romantic lead. Fairuza is often remembered for her role in The Craft, yet she has been in far better films than that. While she has been stuck doing a lot of voice over work lately, as well as bit parts here and there, one can only hope that someone (I am looking at you Rebecca Miller) writes a script that will truly highlight Fariuza Balk’s talent.

Career Highlights: Valmont (1989); American History X (1998); Personal Velocity (2002); Gas, Food, Lodging (1992); The Craft (1996); Almost Famous (2000); The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)

Low Points: The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996); American Perfekt (1997); Return to Oz (1985); The Waterboy (1998); Deuces Wild (2002)

Last Seen On The Big Screen: The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)

Where You Will See Her Next?: In Thicker which also stars Guy Pearce and John Goodman