I'm surprised I haven't seen any threads recently about this film. It's been out since November, had a somewhat wider release near me in December, and it looks like wins at Golden Globes have gotten it an even wider release.
The Trailer in case you haven't seen it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8K9AZcSQJE
I loved the hell out this film. It is, for me, a perfect film. There is nothing in this film that I have a problem with on any level. No complaints, or nits....nothing. The actors, down to the last extra, were perfectly cast and fit the period. The music was awesome and the story was straightforward and relied purely on the actors ability to carry it off without being heard. Even the dog was awesome!
The movie covers the years 1927-1932 and charts the fall of George Valentin and the rise of Peppy Miller. It's a movie about movies, the only antagonist is "progress", there's no action, explosions or sex. The movie has a fairly small scale, but you don't really notice it because the story and acting is so good. Silent film is a more personal experience than "talkies" because you have to fill in more on your own.
The actors "sound" however you want them to. (One reason some silent actors didn't last into the talkie era wasn't because they had "bad voices"....it's because their voice rarely matched how each person imagined it). You don't need to read lips, but what the actor says is rarely exactly what's on the intertitle. Plus the music, when well done, and it is here, creates an almost dreamlike feeling that you don't notice that you miss until it's gone.
As someone said, the movie is a silent movie that's aware that it's a silent move.....but it's also aware that the audience is aware of it too. A lot of silents had a somewhat leisurely pace, but this one does not...for a silent. There's a lot of amusing moments, several heartbreaking ones but it always seems to hold your attention. With solid writing and especially solid acting, no scene goes on too long and there's three musical montage sequences that help keep your attention.
There's some play on words and meaning, especially when you see actors "talk" about talking.
In one amusing sequence, Peppy says she's popular because "the audience can hear me." Of course you have to read this on an intertitle.
And a lot of nice scene construction, as the world has to help convey to the audience what's going on, what people are thinking or feeling. You may or may not even notice these things, but they are definitely there to help a modern audience not used to silents get the story beats.
(Mild Spoilers Follow)
When George and Peppy have a moment in George's dressing room, there's a poster in the background for one of his movies called "The Thief Of Her Heart". Or when George has fallen on hard times, he leaves an auction hall, almost getting hit by a car (the world no longer stops for George) and walks across the street. In the background is a movie theater called "The Lonely Star".
Or when George is watching his last silent movie, and career, bomb, the last scene of his movie is him sinking in quicksand, and as he disappears the words "The End" fade in. (This is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the movie)
Any time you see George walking on a flight of stairs, he is always walking downwards, never up. Peppy is always walking upstairs, never down. There's a memorable scene where they pass each other on the stairs, to symbolize their new status.
There's also some nice music\montage sequences. One shows Peppy's rise in fame by showing us a series of movie credits. At first Peppy is little more than a part of group of dancing girls and her name is listed as such at the bottom. With each new credit sequence, her name get's higher and higher.
Or after George strikes out on his own to film his own movie, there's another nice musical montage. Ditto for once Peppy has hit the big time with the song "Pennies From Heaven" playing.
Now when the movie was originally released here in the states, you could only find listings for L.A. and NY. In December, it seemed to be getting wider distribution, playing at theaters known for "art house" type films. Here in Houston, from Dec. until this week, it was playing at only two theaters. Both of which showed "art house" type films. Now, post Golden Globe wins, it's showing at about ten or so theaters. In fact the one just down the street is showing it.
What commercials I've seen don't advertise the fact that it's silent. And people have walked out of it, though not in the times I've seen it. I think Ebert commented on it, and I read an article about some audience members in the UK doing so. So I'm not sure how long it will be in such a wide release.
The movie is an awesome movie, and it has been one of my greatest pleasures to watch an actual silent movie on the big screen. Although one of the original two theaters here had no more than fifteen people in it when I saw it there a couple of times. But the one more centrally located, in a bit more sophisticated area, was always packed (even though the cinema is much smaller).
I've seen the movie nine times so far, (and may make it ten tonight), and as I said, it's been an awesome to experience a silent on the big screen. But more importantly to experience it in a THEATER....with other people around. The first time I've really given a shit about that aspect over it being on a big screen.
Now one of the showings I went to was less than pleasant, as that whole group just did not seem to understand how a silent works and didn't seem to understand that they weren't supposed to laugh at certain scenes. And despite an awesome musical score, munching popcorn was much, much, much more noticeable. At the aforementioned "less than pleasant" showing, one of those "less than pleasant" moments came when the old coot in front of me sat down with nachos!
There's are at least two scenes where there is absolutely NO sound at all. Nothing. You get really aware of just how loud even quiet things are in a movie theater. LOL!
If you love silent film, you'll probably love this. But you DON'T have to be a fan of silent film to love or even enjoy it. I took a buddy who only went because I kept mentioning the film. He admitted he thought it was going to be dull, but ended up really enjoying the film.
The movie is a throwback, and yet despite that, it feels fresher than the most recent "CGI sploshin fest". It has it's darker moments, but it never let's the darkness overwhelm the movie. In the end, you'll probably walk out feeling glad you saw it.
As I told my friend before he went "It won't end up being your favorite movie, but you will enjoy it!"
The Trailer in case you haven't seen it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8K9AZcSQJE
I loved the hell out this film. It is, for me, a perfect film. There is nothing in this film that I have a problem with on any level. No complaints, or nits....nothing. The actors, down to the last extra, were perfectly cast and fit the period. The music was awesome and the story was straightforward and relied purely on the actors ability to carry it off without being heard. Even the dog was awesome!
The movie covers the years 1927-1932 and charts the fall of George Valentin and the rise of Peppy Miller. It's a movie about movies, the only antagonist is "progress", there's no action, explosions or sex. The movie has a fairly small scale, but you don't really notice it because the story and acting is so good. Silent film is a more personal experience than "talkies" because you have to fill in more on your own.
The actors "sound" however you want them to. (One reason some silent actors didn't last into the talkie era wasn't because they had "bad voices"....it's because their voice rarely matched how each person imagined it). You don't need to read lips, but what the actor says is rarely exactly what's on the intertitle. Plus the music, when well done, and it is here, creates an almost dreamlike feeling that you don't notice that you miss until it's gone.
As someone said, the movie is a silent movie that's aware that it's a silent move.....but it's also aware that the audience is aware of it too. A lot of silents had a somewhat leisurely pace, but this one does not...for a silent. There's a lot of amusing moments, several heartbreaking ones but it always seems to hold your attention. With solid writing and especially solid acting, no scene goes on too long and there's three musical montage sequences that help keep your attention.
There's some play on words and meaning, especially when you see actors "talk" about talking.
In one amusing sequence, Peppy says she's popular because "the audience can hear me." Of course you have to read this on an intertitle.
And a lot of nice scene construction, as the world has to help convey to the audience what's going on, what people are thinking or feeling. You may or may not even notice these things, but they are definitely there to help a modern audience not used to silents get the story beats.
(Mild Spoilers Follow)
When George and Peppy have a moment in George's dressing room, there's a poster in the background for one of his movies called "The Thief Of Her Heart". Or when George has fallen on hard times, he leaves an auction hall, almost getting hit by a car (the world no longer stops for George) and walks across the street. In the background is a movie theater called "The Lonely Star".
Or when George is watching his last silent movie, and career, bomb, the last scene of his movie is him sinking in quicksand, and as he disappears the words "The End" fade in. (This is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the movie)
Any time you see George walking on a flight of stairs, he is always walking downwards, never up. Peppy is always walking upstairs, never down. There's a memorable scene where they pass each other on the stairs, to symbolize their new status.
There's also some nice music\montage sequences. One shows Peppy's rise in fame by showing us a series of movie credits. At first Peppy is little more than a part of group of dancing girls and her name is listed as such at the bottom. With each new credit sequence, her name get's higher and higher.
Or after George strikes out on his own to film his own movie, there's another nice musical montage. Ditto for once Peppy has hit the big time with the song "Pennies From Heaven" playing.
Now when the movie was originally released here in the states, you could only find listings for L.A. and NY. In December, it seemed to be getting wider distribution, playing at theaters known for "art house" type films. Here in Houston, from Dec. until this week, it was playing at only two theaters. Both of which showed "art house" type films. Now, post Golden Globe wins, it's showing at about ten or so theaters. In fact the one just down the street is showing it.
What commercials I've seen don't advertise the fact that it's silent. And people have walked out of it, though not in the times I've seen it. I think Ebert commented on it, and I read an article about some audience members in the UK doing so. So I'm not sure how long it will be in such a wide release.
The movie is an awesome movie, and it has been one of my greatest pleasures to watch an actual silent movie on the big screen. Although one of the original two theaters here had no more than fifteen people in it when I saw it there a couple of times. But the one more centrally located, in a bit more sophisticated area, was always packed (even though the cinema is much smaller).
I've seen the movie nine times so far, (and may make it ten tonight), and as I said, it's been an awesome to experience a silent on the big screen. But more importantly to experience it in a THEATER....with other people around. The first time I've really given a shit about that aspect over it being on a big screen.
Now one of the showings I went to was less than pleasant, as that whole group just did not seem to understand how a silent works and didn't seem to understand that they weren't supposed to laugh at certain scenes. And despite an awesome musical score, munching popcorn was much, much, much more noticeable. At the aforementioned "less than pleasant" showing, one of those "less than pleasant" moments came when the old coot in front of me sat down with nachos!
There's are at least two scenes where there is absolutely NO sound at all. Nothing. You get really aware of just how loud even quiet things are in a movie theater. LOL!
There's also a couple of scenes that feature sound. And they both grab your attention big time. The first is a scene with George at his make up table taking a drink. He set's his glass down and you can hear it. In fact, he can hear it....and he's puzzled by this. More and more ambient sound starts pouring in as he knocks over items on his table. You can hear his chair, his dog bark, people outside....the only thing not making a sound is.....George.
George wakes up in a cold sweat, the whole thing having been a dream.
The very end of the movie. It's somewhat jarring...a sort of "back to mundane reality, and you didn't even realize you'd feel this way because you've been listening to music for an hour and half" kind of thing. Realizing that George has a talent for dancing, and since musicals were big in the early '30's, George and Peppy do a dance number...When they finish, you hear them breathing. Cut to John Goodman and the director...you hear them breathing.
Finally Goodman taps the director on the knee and he yell's "CUT!!" and then Goodman says a few things and then, with two words, you find out why George would not speak on film. As they go for another take of the dance scene, you hear no music, but all the noise and mundane chatter that goes on on a movie set.
The dreamlike quality of this world is now gone and George has gotten a second chance at fame, in this new noisy and less magical world.
Some of the final words being "Quiet Please!"
fade to black, roll credits.
George wakes up in a cold sweat, the whole thing having been a dream.
The very end of the movie. It's somewhat jarring...a sort of "back to mundane reality, and you didn't even realize you'd feel this way because you've been listening to music for an hour and half" kind of thing. Realizing that George has a talent for dancing, and since musicals were big in the early '30's, George and Peppy do a dance number...When they finish, you hear them breathing. Cut to John Goodman and the director...you hear them breathing.
Finally Goodman taps the director on the knee and he yell's "CUT!!" and then Goodman says a few things and then, with two words, you find out why George would not speak on film. As they go for another take of the dance scene, you hear no music, but all the noise and mundane chatter that goes on on a movie set.
The dreamlike quality of this world is now gone and George has gotten a second chance at fame, in this new noisy and less magical world.
Some of the final words being "Quiet Please!"
fade to black, roll credits.
If you love silent film, you'll probably love this. But you DON'T have to be a fan of silent film to love or even enjoy it. I took a buddy who only went because I kept mentioning the film. He admitted he thought it was going to be dull, but ended up really enjoying the film.
The movie is a throwback, and yet despite that, it feels fresher than the most recent "CGI sploshin fest". It has it's darker moments, but it never let's the darkness overwhelm the movie. In the end, you'll probably walk out feeling glad you saw it.
As I told my friend before he went "It won't end up being your favorite movie, but you will enjoy it!"
