Entertainment : From the Front Row of the Balcony: 'The Artist' is as good as expected

"The Artist" is everything I like about modern movies.

It's unique, original, clean, and thoughtful.

It makes you laugh and think without having to blush if you watch it with your 11-year-old.

It's a love story without a single sex scene -- or even a kiss on the lips, for that matter.

As soon as I heard that "The Artist" was on the Palace schedule, I made plans to see it as soon as I could.

I have long been a fan of silent movies. I love the stage and screen scene in Buster Keaton's "Sherlock, Jr." I enjoyed "The General," although I will confess to watching parts of this Civil War-era comedy in fast forward. And "Our Hospitality," the story of a young man who returns to his hometown to discover he is the target for revenge by the family of a man his father killed, has one of the most funny endings in movie history.

And, yes, I have a small Charlie Chaplin collection, of course.

Recently, I watched the first silent movie to earn an Oscar for Best Motion Picture: "Wings." That was a World War I movie about fighter airplanes (imagine a combination of "Flyboys and the plot of "Pearl Harbor) that were actually flown by the actors in many scenes.

"The Artist" is the second silent movie to win a Best Picture Oscar.

Like 98 percent of the critics on the Rotten Tomatoes web site, I liked "The Artist." I like it a lot. I liked it even more than I thought I would.

Not everyone is likely to agree; I was one of only 12 Palace patrons to see the movie on its opening night in Vinton.

The Story

The movie begins in 1927, the height of the silent film era. George Valentin (Jean DuJardin, which means "John of the Garden" in French) is at the height of his career. He is rich and famous, the most popular headliner in movies.  

As George is celebrating yet another success with a crowd of adoring fans and a flock of reporters, he bumps into Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), and immediately involves her in an impromptu performance that makes the front page of  Variety magazine (yes, the price you see on the copy of the magazine in the movie was indeed what it cost in the 1920s; I looked it up).

That brief encounter was Peppy's introduction to show business; soon her star was rising. George helps her land a role in one of his movies; in a charming scene, we see the connection he feels with her.

But as Peppy rises to stardom in the "Talkies," George hits rock bottom. Unwilling to act in anything but silent pictures, George tries and fails at producing one. The stock market crash and being dumped by his actress wife send George into poverty despair. Soon he is living alone in a very poor house, his only companion his faithful dog and several empty bottles of booze.

Peppy sees George's fall and remembers how he helped her; she tries to return the favor.

Why you should go

Like the original silent films, "The Artist" makes you laugh and think with very few thoughts actually put into words. (Most movies these days have many more words than thoughts, it seems.) One big improvement: The music of "The Artist" is much easier on the ears. There are also some long moments of intense silence.

But this movie is more than a lesson on the cinema of a century ago. It's a unique film that is surprisingly unpredictable.

And Uggie, the dog who stole the show at the Oscars, also steals several scenes in the movie.

Another reason to go: While the main roles are played by actors from France, some favorite American supporting role actors have a part in this film. Look for them.

What you should know before you go:

"The Artist" is rated PG-13, mostly because of a scene that depicts a man contemplating suicide. There is exactly one mild four-letter word and one kiss on the cheek.  PG-13 movies don't come any more mild than that.

And yes, it's a silent movie that makes you think. You have to come ready to sit and think, and listen to the silence.

And although "The Artist" is certainly one of my favorites of recent years, not everyone will agree.

"Eh," said the lady who shares her popcorn and Pepsi with me at the movies. "I would have rather seen Bruce Willis."