The Artist

French writer and director Michel Hazanavicius delivers a surprisingly effective film with silent film in black & white about Hollywood. A silent era movie star's rejection of sound has professional and personal consequences. Hazanavicius' taking on the great films of the silent era comes up with a story where "Singin' in the Rain" meets "A Star is Born" with tributes to all the great artists of the era. Hollywood directors like Carl Reiner and Steven Soderbergh attempted to pay homage to its past but it was for comic effect or failed to find acceptance, so it's surprising for a French man to go for it dead-on and succeeding to create the first silent film in almost a century. Hazanavicius's partner in crime Jean Dujardin is perfect as the lead along with a stellar supporting cast including Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, Penelope Ann Miller and James Cromwell. The film shot in Hollywood features outstanding production design, cinematography and score. 1001-Films coverage of the 64th Festival de Cannes.