Dir: Michel Hazanavicius
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman
This film certainly belongs on the list for coming out of nowhere and blowing everyone away. Last year I went to Empire's Big Screen, a movie festival and we all got treated to clips and background info of the years to come films. To my recollection this was not mentioned at all (I could be wrong, there was a lot of info!). As you know it cleaned up at the awards season, Jean Dujardin obviously and deservedly the biggest winner, getting Best Actor at almost every ceremony.
As soon as I did eventually hear about this film I wanted to see it, if only for it being different and going back to a time of film that I, and the generation before, were too young to have witnessed first hand. Also as a person (geek) who is not just a movie goer but someone who has a genuine passion for it it was interesting to see some of the old fashioned ways of Hollywoodland. I liked the fact that I read on IMDb that the house Peppy (Berenice Bejo) lives in was actress Mary Pickford's in real life. I loved the use of the signature tune from Vertigo even though that films main female star, Kim Novak objected to it. I was shocked though that a few people who went to see the film did not realise it was a silent movie and actually walked out, demanding their money back! sigh. Of course I can't write about this film without talking about Uggi the dog, he often stole the show in the scenes he was in and he and George made a great double act.
SPOILERS!!!!!
I really liked the story of how the two main protagonists, George (Jean DuJardin) and Peppy (Berenice Bejo) film career has so many parallels although going two ways and criss-crossing. He's at the top of his game when they meet and she's just starting out which he indirectly helps with then at the end she's the big shot and he has lost his edge with the invention of the talkies and she rescues him, in more ways that one.
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