The Artist

THE ARTIST (2011) - Dec. 15, 2011
A really well made and kind of delightful movie about a silent film star who finds his celebrity waning after the advent of talking pictures.  Shot silent and in black and white -- a technique that could have easily come off as pretentious gimmickry, but which absolutely works here.  For the first hour or so I was quite enjoying it, but thinking it was nothing particularly special, however at a certain point the film becomes stunningly involving.  It helps that the performances are quite good, and that director Michel Hazanavicius does a pretty great job of making the endearing characters people we come to care about.  ***1/2