Esteban Gonzalez (ESTEBUENO)

¨Look at what you've become. You've become proud! You've become stupid! ¨

The Artist is a beautiful film that pays homage to movies from the late 20`s and early 30`s, the silent film era. In order to do so, French director Michel Hazanavicius decided to make this film almost entirely without sound and in black and white. Many producers would`ve probably thought he was crazy for trying to make a film like this in these days where viewers are used to seeing spectacular and colorful movies with great sound and even in 3D. However, The Artist works perfectly and is one of the brightest films of the year despite being in black and white. The cinematography is spectacular (perhaps only rivaled this year by The Tree of Life and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), the costume design and editing are among the best of the year, and the score is also amazing. This is truly a beautiful film that many film historians will enjoy for the nice tribute it renders to the age of silent films. Many famous actors during this era weren't able to make the transition to the talkies, and that is exactly what The Artist is about, and it does it in a very simplistic but stylized fashion. The film has been nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Performance by a Lead Actor (Jean Dujardin) and a Supporting Actress (Berenice Bejo). It will probably walk away with the Best Picture title considering how appealing the subject matter is to the Academy, and how well the film was crafted. Please don't be scared off because the movie is silent or in black and white because the story is really entertaining and despite being colorless it is brighter than any other film released this year. It is really worth a watch; you won`t regret it.

The year is 1927 and George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is at the height of his artistic career. He is a very successful Hollywood actor and producer Al Zimmer (John Goodman) is very pleased with his work. After having succeeded together yet again in a recent film, they are already collaborating for their next project. During rehearsals for their next movie, George runs into an extra named Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). They hit it off instantly sharing a dance number and George insists that Peppy should get the part. Pepper falls in love immediately with George, but he is married to Doris (Penelope Ann Miller) so their relationship is entirely professional. George gives Peppy the best advice she would ever receive: In order to make it in the industry she needs to be different and he paints a spot near her lip. This will be her trademark later on as she slowly begins rising to the spotlight during the arrival of the talkies. Valentin however, isn't lucky and realizes his days as a successful actor are coming to an end with the advent of these talking pictures. People want to see new faces and hear their voices. Al Zimmer realizes this and breaks relations with George, so Valentin decides to produce, direct, and star in his own silent film. The movie is a failure as people want to see these new talkies, and as Valentin`s fame becomes to decline, Peppy Miller begins to grow into a superstar. Valentin is left with nothing except his faithful driver, Clifton (James Cromwell) and his Jack Russell Terrier named Jack. The times have changed for the great artists and fortunes are reversed.

The Artist is among my top ten favorite films of the year and it works really well, not only as homage to these silent films, but as a love story as well. Along with Midnight in Paris, these are perhaps the two best romantic movies of the year and would make for an excellent date. I`ve already mentioned some of the technical aspects, but now I would like to praise the performances from Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, and the dog (which was played in most part by Uggie). I can`t leave out the dog, because he plays an important role in this film, and in a way is Valentin`s faithful companion and savior. Jean Dujardin does deserve the Oscar nomination for his performance, he was terrific, and I think I enjoyed it over George Clooney`s. If he wins, it will be well deserved. My favorite performance of the film however, comes from Berenice Bejo, who was also nominated as a supporting actress. She is just terrific and shines every time she`s on screen. Her performance gives this black and white movie a lot of color. Both Bejo and Dujardin have worked together with director Hazanavicius in the past in the French spy spoof film OSS 117. I`ve never seen the movie, nor its sequel, but after seeing The Artist I`m very much interested in doing so. Overall this is a terrific film and one you won`t want to miss.

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¨I just figured, looking at your sheet, that since you sold grass to a uniformed police officer that you must be retarded.¨

Our Idiot Brother is the latest Paul Rudd comedy directed and written by relatively unknown Jesse Peretz (who is better known for his music videos). I really wasn't expecting much from this film, but I have to admit that I was hooked with the story and the characters from the very beginning. I mean, it`s hard not to like Paul Rudd when he is playing the dumb nice character. I really thought he was miscast in Dinner for Schmucks where he had to play a much more serious and means spirited role. This time he gets to play the dumb innocent character and he is just hilarious. The rest of the cast in this film is also great and I really laughed throughout the movie. It is dumb and lighthearted, but I was really entertained. There isn't anything original about Our Idiot Brother and we`ve laughed at similar jokes in other movies, but I just had a great time with this film and I can`t really explain why. I guess it had to do with Rudd`s easygoing character. He was one dimensional like most of the other characters, but sometimes this works in a comedy when you are actually making fun of these typical stereotypes. The story also works thanks to the great chemistry Rudd has with the rest of the cast and the dynamics between these characters. Rudd is the main character, but he interferes in most of his family`s life in one way or another and everyone seems to suffer from his decisions. The movie really works well and had me laughing throughout it.

Paul Rudd is Ned, a hippy and idealistic guy who grows organic vegetables in a farm with his girlfriend Janet (Kathryn Hahn) and his dog Willie Nelson who he absolutely adores. One day Ned is caught selling weed to a uniformed police officer and is sent to prison. Ned is just a simple guy who puts his absolute confidence in people expecting the best from them, and that is why people end up taking advantage of him. It`s easy to say he`s idiot, but in my opinion he`s just pure hearted and has the best intentions for everyone; even though those best intentions end up hurting his family. He has three sisters: Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) who is a writer and is working on her first real important article, Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) who is a model for a nude painter named Christian (Hugh Dancy) and is moving in with her girlfriend Cindy (Rashida Jones), and Liz (Emily Mortimer) a mother of two boys who is married with an important documentary director, Dylan (Steve Coogan). When Ned is released from prison for good behavior he returns to the farm only to find out that Janet is with another man named Billy (T.J. Miller). Ned isn't welcome anymore and he isn't even allowed to take his dog with him. Without a home and without a job, Ned has to return to live with his mother Ilene (Shirley Knight). He also spends a few days with his sisters making their lives a bit complicated due to his sincerity, and thus is where all the comedy ensues.

Even though Ned causes a lot of trouble back home, he isn't actually guilty for his sisters` mistakes. It`s just that he seems to say the wrong things at the wrong time. He is a very sincere person and for that he gets other people into a lot of trouble, but at the end they learn that sincerity is the best way of going about things. He is a little slow and naïve, which in today`s society we sometime consider to be stupid since he expects always the best from everyone and never considers that most people are opportunists or just plain mean spirited. The heart of the film relies on this ingenuity and how it ends up complicating things for his sisters who decide to blame him for having a big mouth instead of realizing that their mistakes have put them in that situation. The cast in this film is just fantastic. Steve Coogan, Emily Mortimer, Zooey Deschanel, and Elizabeth Banks all give funny performances. Paul Rudd however, is the heart of the film and he is a lot funnier than in his recent films. I really enjoyed this comedy and found it very entertaining. I think the world would be a better place with more people like Ned. Kudos for Jesse Peretz and his direction in Our Idiot Brother.

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