The Artist is a melodramatic silent French film that was released on October 12, 2011. Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, the story takes place in Hollywood from 1927 to 1932, featuring Jean Dujardin as a silent movie star who must come to terms with the arrival of "talking pictures". As his career declines, he meets a young actress played by Bérénice Bejo, whose career is on the rise. The Artist, a silent film itself, is set to become the most watched silent film in decades now that it has been nominated for several awards. Jean Dujardin already won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where the The Artist premiered.
Plot[]
In the 1920s, actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a bona fide matinee idol with many adoring fans. While working on his latest film, George finds himself falling in love with an ingenue named Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) and, what's more, it seems Peppy feels the same way. But George is reluctant to cheat on his wife with the beautiful young actress. The growing popularity of sound in movies further separates the potential lovers, as George's career begins to fade while Peppy's star rises.
Cast[]
- Jean Dujardin as George Valentin
- Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller
- John Goodman as Al Zimmer
- James Cromwell as Clifton
- Missi Pyle as Constance
- Penelope Ann Miller as Doris
- Malcolm McDowell as The Butler
- Bitsie Tulloch as Norma
- Beth Grant as Peppy's Maid
- Jen Lilley as Onloooker
- Nina Siemaszko as Admiring Woman
- Basil Hoffman as Auctioneer
- Ben Kurland as Casting Assistant
Trivia[]
- David A. Cooper was cast as the Guardian Angel Actor, but was unable to shoot because of last minute scheduling conflicts.
- The role of Jack the dog was actually played by three matching Jack Russell Terriers; Uggie, Dash, and Dude. In actuality, the lead dog Uggie, did the majority of all the scenes except a few. All three dogs were colored before the filming began, made to look more alike each other.
- Penelope Ann Miller also played Edna Purviance, a famous silent movie actress, in the 1992 movie Chaplin, the bio-film about one of the most famous and renowned silent film comedians 'Charlie Chaplin'.
Awards[]
Dujardin won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actor Award for his performance. The dog actor in the film, Uggy, won the Palm Dog Award for best performance by a canine at the festival.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | American Film Institute | AFI Special Awards | Won | |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Award | Best Picture | Won | ||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Nominated | ||
| Best Use of Music in a Film | Won tied up with Drive | |||
| Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Film | Results pending | ||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Results pending | ||
| Best Actor | Jean Dujardin | Results pending | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Bérénice Béjo | Results pending | ||
| Best Screenplay | Michel Hazanavicius | Results pending | ||
| European Film Awards | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| Best European Composer | Ludovic Bource | Won | ||
| Best European Cinematographer | Guillaume Schiffman | Nominated | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society | Best Picture | Results pending | ||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Results pending | ||
| Best Actor | Jean Dujardin | Results pending | ||
| Best Screenplay | Results pending | |||
| Best Cinematography | Results pending | |||
| Best Score | Results pending | |||
| Best Foreign Film | Results pending | |||
| Leeds International Film Festival | Official Selection Audience Award | won | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Picture | Won | ||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Jean Dujardin | Nominated | ||
| New York Film Critics Online | Best Picture | Won | ||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Won | ||
| Best Use of Music | Ludovic Bource | Won | ||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Jean Dujardin | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Bérénice Bejo | Nominated | ||
| Best Art Direction | Lawrence Bennett (Production Designer) and Gregory S. Hooper (Art Director) | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Guillaume Schiffman | Nominated | ||
| Best Score | Ludovic Bource | Won | ||
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | Audience Award | Won | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Motion Picture | Results pending | ||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Results pending | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Results pending | |||
| Best Cinematography | Guillaume Schiffman | Results pending | ||
| Best Art Direction and Production Design | Gregory S. Hooper, Laurence Bennett | Results pending | ||
| Best Costume Design | Mark Bridges | Results pending | ||
| 2012 | Academy Awards | Best Picture | Won | |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Cinema Vanguard Award | Won | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Cast | Results pending | ||
| Best Male Actor in a Leading Role | Jean Dujardin | Results pending | ||
| Best Female Actress in a Supporting Role | Bérénice Bejo | Results pending | ||
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Film | Results pending | ||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Results pending | ||
| Best Screenplay | Michel Hazanavicius | Results pending | ||
| Best Actor | Jean Dujardin | Results pending | ||
| Best Cinematography | Guillaume Schiffman | Results pending | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Picture | Results pending | ||
| Best Actor | Jean Dujardin | Results pending | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Bérénice Béjo | Results pending | ||
| Best Acting Ensemble | Results pending | |||
| Best Director | Michel Hazanavicius | Results pending | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Michel Hazanavicius | Results pending | ||
| Best Cinematography | Guillaume Schiffman | Results pending | ||
| Best Art Direction | Laurence Bennett and Gregory S. Hooper | Results pending | ||
| Best Editing | Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion | Results pending | ||
| Best Costume Design | Mark Bridges | Results pending | ||
| Best Score | Ludovic Bource | Results pending |