The Artist :0)

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....e-Academy-Awards.html

'The Artist' wins an Oscar for the best film???????????????

Er, let's get this right in 2012 a Black & White, Silent Film, wins best film.

The last time a black & white silent film won an Oscar was back in 1929.

In this age of wide-screen, brilliant colour, stereophonic all round sound, and even 3D. this wins best film?

Tell me is this a case of 'The King's New Clothes'?

Must dash off to my local Currys now, they have the latest in music players, it requires no electricity to play it, you just wind it up, and put the new 78rpm record disc on it.

They say they are absolutely brilliant, and must come No 1 in the 10 best audio players list.

[sandyRoe]

Clearly, it is very much a homage to the silent movies.
Having the actors talking would probably have spoiled that.

[Booldawg]

Does it end with a Benny Hill style chase?

[T&S]

Does anyone get tied to a rail track by a moustache stroking baddie?

Or hang off a clock (oops that was Hugo..)

[Baldric]

Benny Hill was normally chasing scantily clad females, tread carefully or someone may construe that as sexist
:o)

[Davethedog]

Isn't this thorny? There are 717 members of the academy predominantly male and an average age of 69 I kid you not.

So far since its release, world wide it has made £76m which is less than half of what Harry Potter made in a weekend in the US. In fact commercialy it appears the public are not overly keane using its total US gross against lastyear its the 96th most successful film in the US.

So what makes it film of the year?

[Gromit]

You should try to see it AOG, I think you would like it. And it is not completely silent, it has a great soundtrack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK7pfLlsUQM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[pa___ul3]

Commercial success does not equal quality! I thought it was a very good film, there's plenty of bad films I prefer but I enjoyed The Artist for what it was and, as well as it not needing dialogue, the lack of dialogue is actually used a s metaphor in the story. If you watch it, it makes sense. I think it deserves the award.
Incidentally, one of my favourite films of all time, La Haine, is in black and white.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

Thanks for that, I enjoyed it.

Great descriptive musical background.

I notice that Composer Ludovic Bource won an Oscar, for the best original score.

[anotheoldgit]

pa___ul3

/// Incidentally, one of my favourite films of all time, La Haine, is in black and white. ///

In my opinion, most of them were, take 'Casablanca' for instance.

"You must remember this"

[anotheoldgit]

pa__ul

To each his own, not my cup of tea though.

Sorry I can't say I enjoyed the 'Music', Edith Piaf wasn't bad though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js2_hBDi2LI

[mibn2cweus]

I managed to sit through the entire movie without realising, (until someone reminded me of it after the movie was over), it was done in black and white . . . must have been something I ate. :o/

It was rather curious to find myself sitting in a cinema watching other people watch a movie made about people watching other people sitting in a cinema watching a movie they had made. I had this odd feeling that perhaps I was being watched by the ones making the movie . . . but not as odd as when I thought I saw myself sitting there in the audience.

But to say, "They don't make them like that any more." somehow seems somewhat misleading.

[pa___ul3]

ha, fair play for looking it up AOG, I wouldn't have thought it'd be your cup of tea, however much it may reflect a topic on which you do seem to show and interest - it follows 3 urban youths of different races and a gun.
I can't say I've ever seen Casablanca, I probably should one day, there's plenty of films I probably should see that I haven't, I do like a good, well made, thought out film, not such a big fan of your classic Hollywood blockbusters that seek to sell tickets rather than telling a good story.

[andy-hughes]

"Tell me is this a case of 'The King's New Clothes'?" -

can't do that AOG, it appears not to be the case.

[Davethedog]

I was not being critical of the Artist. I haven't seen it. I was attempting to ask why this film which, isn't a public success is a critical success.

This thread just proves how diverse we are and long may it be so.

[anotheoldgit]

pa__ul3

/// it follows 3 urban youths of different races and a gun.///

No, there is enough of this going off in real life, instead of watching it for enjoyment.

See there have been 2 stabbings and 1 shooting in London this week-end.

One of the stabbed victims was a Liverpool fan who had gone down to London to see the Carling Cup-Final.

He never saw it, he was brutally murdered on Saturday night.

Not a very safe place these days, London.

[Davethedog]

AOG its a city of millions - Was he stabbed by a londoner?

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

"Tell me is this a case of 'The King's New Clothes'?" -

/// can't do that AOG, it appears not to be the case. ///

Perhaps in your option Andy, but you know these 'arty' types, have you never seen them stand back and convince some, how great a piece of art is?

Example.

"Look can't you see what the artist was thinking of, by his elaborate and distinctive brush strokes"? Er, NO!!!!!!!!

There are many though, that would be to timid to question him or her.

Take the Turner Prize for another example.

Can you honestly say the same couldn't be said regarding 'The Artist'?

Just a thought.

[JandyAF]

I'm fairly sure that aog would also pooh-pooh the art of ballet, where all acting, over and above the dancing, has to be in mime. Acting in silent mode has to be extremely expressive in order to get the meaning across. I can think of a few film actors who have been accused in recent times as being somewhat 'wooden'. It is not enough to be able to speak the lines, without the gestures and facial expressions to show what the character is feeling.

[pa___ul3]

I heard AOG, he's from the Wirral, like I am, I know people who know him! Horrible news!
But let's not let such a grim topic spoil a nice thread about good films, at least La Haine far from glamourises such a life style as some films do. I think the reason it's filmed in black and white is to reflect the bleakness of such a life. The film somewhat fuels my viewpoint on many of your threads about urban crime actually, it's title deriving from a line in the film which translates as 'hatred breeds hatred', that couldn't be more true!