The Artist

[DaveWeed]

Just watched this at a 70% full Cheshire Oaks.
I personally really enjoyed this move,although i found the first 20 mins or so hard work.
My Mrs is a different story she hated it & wanted to leave ( a few people did )
I will give it a 7/10 but a 1/10 from the Mrs......

[nausicaa]

First time I have been to a preview screening and couldn't have hoped for a better movie to do it to. Absolutely loved it.

[cheekyweelassie]

Saw this at the Islington Vue, which seemed full. I took a friend who had never been to a free film before, and she thought the whole experience was fantastic.
We will both be encouraging people to go and see 'The Artist', so the idea behind free previews certainly seems a good one in this case. I hope that lots of people give it a go.
I was rapt from the off. I thought the performances were fantastic. And I loved the dog so much.
I thought there were enough clever and creative bits to keep up the interest, but the film mostly relied on the brilliant representation of the main characters, with emotive facial close-ups doing much of the action. I thought the music was mostly really appropriate, though sometimes it felt like it was slowing things down.
I didn't emerge from the cinema ecstatic, and I felt like there could have been something a bit more, but it is still one of my favourite fims this year and I am giving it 9/10.

[yogi]

I thought this was fantastic, it's always a worry when your expectations have risen so much due to the positive buzz, but it pretty much lived up to the hype.

It's been a very long time since I cared so much about a couple of characters, so few words, but so much was said. And the decision to make it as a silent movie is absolutely inspired, the story being so interwoven with the birth of the talkies.

From the opening movie within a movie dialogue to the dream sequence the whole thing felt like it couldn't have been told any other way. I spotted a few nods to classic set pieces or styles, but I'm guessing a silent movie expert would be in their element.

Though at the centre is a great story with wonderful performances, the dog is fantastic as others have said, and as well as the leads I thought James Cromwell and his relationship was absolutely heartbreaking at times.

[cliveas]

Saw this tonight at Stratford and loved it.

What a quiet audience. I don't need to be the only one there after all, it just needs a silent film!

There was very little new in the story at all, but somehow it still managed to captivate. Obviously there was novelty value and if there were lots of films made that way today then a stronger story would be needed. But as an exercise in storytelling by film with all the peripherals (colour & speech let alone stunts and CGI) stripped away it was interesting from a technical point of view but also very entertaining.

An excellent score with intelligent arranging emphasised just how important music can be in film-making. Of course some fine acting from Uggie and his fellow cast members helped a lot as well.

There was something rather elegant about the whole thing.

[Octopus]

Though at the centre is a great story with wonderful performances, the dog is fantastic as others have said, and as well as the leads I thought James Cromwell and his relationship was absolutely heartbreaking at times.

Oh yes! He almost made me cry! (almost, as I was with a friend and didn't want to cry in front of her haha)

[anakin]

Saw this in Islington tonight. Has been ages since I've seen anything! Quite busy, but not full. Had an annoying neighbour who was late, constantly on her phone for a while, went to see her friend (thereby blocking people's view) and had BYO popcorn in a super rustle-y bag.

Anyway...

Took me a while to settle into it, but I got absorbed (partly cos you can't look away as you might miss something important!) and I really rather enjoyed it. Much of what I'd say has been said above. Charming, very entertaining in places etc etc. Agree with previous posters that I hope it's a one off. Part of the enjoyment was that it was so different - if it becomes a trend, part of the sparkle will fade. So much smiling must have made the leads' faces hurt.

I'm not a dog person, but it even made me chuckle. It had a [spoiler]Lassie[/spoiler]moment which made me think of Rawsalsa's Red Dog review. I also LOVED the [spoiler]final line, which explained so much.[/spoiler] Not a massive complaint, but I did not like [spoiler]the dream sequence. What is it with films and dream sequences?![/spoiler]
The only really disappointing thing about it was that OH who really wanted to see it ended up having to work instead

8/10 from me

[anakin]

PS How 'skinny' does John Goodman look!

[anakin]

ps: [spoiler]a love story without a kiss? well done![/spoiler]

[spoiler]You need to watch some older Bollywood films. I still remember seeing my first screen kiss. Made me feel positively uncomfortable![/spoiler]
PPS Loved Peppy's outfits! Bring back the 20's / 30's!

[bonnybon]

Saw this today in Romford Vue which was so full I had to sit right at the front and crane my neck backwards to get a good viewing angle

Anyway the film was great! I'd already heard about Jean Dujardin brilliant performance but was blown away by Berenice Bejo. She exuded such charm and charisma with no lines when it would have been very easy for her just to play the pretty romantic lead and leave all the emotion to Jean. Also as many have said, the dog was ah-mazing. I feel like starting a campaign to get him (or her!) nominated for an Oscar too. The guy who played Clifton was great as well. Basically everyone in this film gave strong performances.

I would say though I would have preferred to see more comedy in the film, simply because the comedic elements were executed perfectly and also because it got a bit too angsty (for want a better word) in the second half of the film.

I give it 9/10