Sorry : we're all sold out for tonight!
Michel Hazanavicius, Fr België 2011
Silent movie with English text in between scenes
It starts with a glow. It's a bright, silvery glow, washing over the audience as the old-school opening credits roll, and glowing in a way that movies rarely have done since the names of Chaplin and Pickford and Fairbanks graced the screen.
For the next hour and a half, director Michel Hazanavicius' unfailingly delightful "The Artist" -- a silent, black-and-white romantic comedy, which doubles as a playful but heartfelt love letter to Hollywood's bygone era -- only continues to glow brighter.
Like Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" -- another instant Oscar contender built upon picture-perfect period flourishes and a foundation of great affection for cinema -- "The Artist" is exactly what Hollywood needs right now: a universally embraceable reminder for audiences of why we all love movies so much.
Chosen as best movie 2011
