The Artist (2011)

Director:

Michel Hazanavicius

Writer:

Michel Hazanavicius

Release Date:

20 January 2012 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Silent movie star George Valentin bemoans the coming era of talking pictures and fades into oblivion and self-destruction, but finds sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer lighting up talkies like no one else.

Plot Keywords:

Silent Film | Movie Star | Movie Studio | Dancing | Male Female Relationship

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 107 wins & 74 nominations

Cast

Jean Dujardin	...	George Valentin
Bérénice Bejo	...	Peppy Miller
John Goodman	...	Al Zimmer
James Cromwell	...	Clifton
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Doris
Missi Pyle	...	Constance
Beth Grant	...	Peppy's Maid
Ed Lauter	...	The Butler
Joel Murray	...	Policeman Fire
Bitsie Tulloch	...	Norma
Ken Davitian	...	Pawnbroker
Malcolm McDowell	...	The Butler
Basil Hoffman	...	Auctioneer
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Policeman Tuxedo
Nina Siemaszko	...	Admiring Woman
Stephen Mendillo	...	Set Assistant
Dash Pomerantz	...	Peppy's Boyfriend
Beau Nelson	...	Peppy's Boyfriend
Alex Holliday	...	Guard
Wiley M. Pickett	...	Guard
Ben Kurland	...	Audition Casting Assistant
Katie Nisa	...	Audition Dancer
Katie Wallack	...	Audition Dancer
Hal Landon Jr.	...	Napoleon
Cleto Augusto	...	Set Technician
Sarah Karges	...	Laughing Dancer
Sarah Scott	...	Laughing Dancer
Maize Olinger	...	Shouting Dancer
Ezra Buzzington	...	Journalist
Fred Bishop	...	Journalist
Stuart Pankin	...	Director #1 / Restaurant
Andy Milder	...	Director #2
Bob Glouberman	...	Director #3 (Finale)
David Allen Cluck	...	Assistant Director (Finale) (as David Cluck)
Kristian Francis Falkenstein	...	Actor in 'The Brunette' (as Kristian Falkenstein)
Matt Skollar	...	Peppy's Assistant
Annie O'Donnell	...	Woman with Policeman
Patrick Mapel	...	Assistant with Newspaper
Matthew Albrecht	...	Tennis Player
Harvey J. Alperin	...	Doctor (as Harvey Alperin)
Lily Knight	...	Nurse at Peppy's House
Clement Blake	...	Beggar
Tasso Feldman	...	Zimmer's Assistant
Christopher Ashe	...	Zimmer's Assistant (as Chris Ashe)
Adria Tennor	...	Zimmer's Secretary
Cletus Young	...	Bartender
J. Mark Donaldson	...	Thug #1
Brian J. Williams	...	Thug #2 (as Brian Williams)
Andrew Ross Wynn	...	Big Dancer (Restaurant)
Jen Lilley	...	Onlooker
Brian Chenoweth	...	Onlooker
Tim De Zarn	...	Soldier
Uggie	...	The Dog
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pasquale Cassalia	...	Dancer (credit only)
Victor Holstein	...	Grip
Robert Kestler	...	Scientist 1
Kevin Ketcham	...	Film Crew Member
Rose Murphy	...	Herself (archive sound)
Ashley Lane Adams	...	Girl at Audition (uncredited)
David Bantly	...	Studio Executive (uncredited)
Bill Blair	...	Studio Engineer (uncredited)
Teri Bocko	...	Laughing Dancer (uncredited)
Joshua Capo	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Vincent De Paul	...	Restaurant Manager (uncredited)
Calvin Dean	...	Mr. Sauveur (uncredited)
Mohamed Dione	...	African (uncredited)
Matt J. Doyle	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Joseph Falsetti	...	Camera Operator (uncredited)
Josephine Ganner	...	1930's Studio Actress (uncredited)
Kevin Michael Hoffman	...	Peppy's Dance Partner (uncredited)
Jennifer Ingrum	...	Charleston Dancer (uncredited)
Devon Marie King	...	Laughing Dancer (uncredited)
Michael Laren	...	Michel (uncredited)
Jillana Laufer	...	Silent Film Star (uncredited)
Sonya Macari	...	Autograph Girl (uncredited)
Josh Margulies	...	Film Clapper #1 (uncredited)
Rene Napoli	...	Studio Executive (uncredited)
Niko Novick	...	Producer (uncredited)
Philip Ongert	...	Set Costumer - Finale (uncredited)
Geoff Pilkington	...	Sound Technician (uncredited)
Jamie Preston	...	Engineer (uncredited)
Andrew Schlessinger	...	1920s Lighting Technician (uncredited)
Frank Scozzari	...	Man in Restaurant (uncredited)
Jewel Shepard	...	Flapper Starlet (uncredited)
John H. Tobin	...	Violinist in Ballroom (uncredited)
Josh Woodle	...	Man in Bed with Peppy (uncredited)
Brad Everett Young	...	Uncontrollable Patient (uncredited)

Directed by
Michel Hazanavicius

Writing credits
Michel Hazanavicius

Produced by
Jeremy Burdek	....	co-producer
Antoine de Cazotte	....	executive producer
Daniel Delume	....	executive producer
Nadia Khamlichi	....	co-producer
Thomas Langmann	....	producer
Richard Middleton	....	executive producer
Emmanuel Montamat	....	producer
Adrian Politowski	....	co-producer
Gilles Waterkeyn	....	co-producer
Jean Dujardin	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ludovic Bource

Cinematography by
Guillaume Schiffman

Film Editing by
Anne-Sophie Bion
Michel Hazanavicius

Casting by
Heidi Levitt

Production Design by
Laurence Bennett

Art Direction by
Gregory S. Hooper

Set Decoration by
Austin Buchinsky
Robert Gould

Costume Design by
Mark Bridges

Makeup Department
Stacey K. Black	....	hair stylist
Cydney Cornell	....	department head hair stylist
Clarisse Domine	....	key makeup artist
Jed Dornoff	....	makeup artist
Kelcey Fry	....	makeup artist
Jenni Brown Greenberg	....	makeup artist
Zoe Hay	....	key makeup artist
Julie Hewett	....	makeup department head
Pecha Koy	....	hair stylist
Adruitha Lee	....	hair stylist
Maha	....	makeup artist (as Maha Saade)
Lydia Milars	....	makeup artist
Michele Payne	....	assistant hair stylist
Kimberley Spiteri	....	hair stylist
Lynn Tully	....	key hair stylist
Angie Wells	....	makeup artist
Karen Zanki	....	hair stylist
Joy Zapata	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Antoine de Cazotte	....	unit production manager
Segolene Fleury-Slimane	....	production manager
Varujan Gumusel	....	post-production manager
Frank Mettre	....	post-production supervisor
Christina Lee Storm	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Canal	....	first assistant director
David Allen Cluck	....	first assistant director
Shadie Elnashai	....	additional second assistant director
David Paige	....	second assistant director
Lou Salomé Piron	....	assistant director: preparation
Richard Robinson	....	second second assistant director
Karla Strum	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Berj Daniel Bedrosian	....	propmaker
Erin Boyd	....	head buyer
Franck 'Frenchy' Brousse	....	set dresser
Tim Burriss	....	set dresser
Martin Charles	....	graphic designer
Paul Ford	....	set dresser
Penelope Franco	....	set dresser
Carmine Goglia	....	stand-by painter
Cheryl Gould	....	leadperson
Robert Grbavac	....	painter
Matthew Haney	....	gang boss
Stephanie Hein	....	set dresser
Angie Kern	....	construction medic
Carol Kiefer	....	art department coordinator
Greg Knapp	....	construction/rigging medic
Arin Ladish	....	on-set dresser
Joe Mason	....	art department assistant
Ray Maxwell	....	construction location foreman
Stephen McCumby	....	props
Joe Monaco	....	on-set dresser
Adam Mull	....	set designer
Bob Renna	....	set dresser
Ashley Rice	....	set dressing buyer
Kim Richey	....	assistant property master
Matt Sazzman	....	foreman
Michelle Spears	....	property master
Bryan Turk	....	general foreman
Daniel Turk	....	construction coordinator
Esmilda Vallejos	....	draper
Jesse Vogel	....	painter
Rebecca Wentz	....	art department assistant
Todd Wolcott	....	standby greensman
Kaitlynn Wood	....	set dec intern

Sound Department
Etienne Colin	....	sound mix engineer
Valeria Ghiran	....	boom operator
Michael Krikorian	....	production sound mixer
Gérard Lamps	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marc Mnémosyne	....	sound mix technician
Nadine Muse	....	sound editor
Ludovick Tartavel	....	sound mix assistant

Special Effects by
Chris Cline	....	special effects technician
John Eggett	....	pyrotechnician
Richard Jacobs	....	special effects technician
David Waine	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Philippe Aubry	....	flame artist
Jerome Auliac	....	digital compositor
Seif Boutella	....	visual effects artist
Laurent Brett	....	digital compositor
Laurent Brett	....	title designer
Jimmy Cavé	....	digital artist
Jimmy Cavé	....	visual effects artist
David Danesi	....	visual effects supervisor
Gilles Giordan	....	digital compositor
Aurélien Grand	....	retouch and restoration
Caroline Journo	....	visual effects
Aurelie Lajoux	....	senior compositor
Arnaud Leviez	....	digital artist
Amandine Moulinet	....	visual effects coordinator
Romain Moussel	....	visual effects coordinator
Sofi Vaillant	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Laura Albert	....	stunts
Michael Caradonna	....	stunts
Rick Creese	....	stunt driver
Gary Davis	....	stunt coordinator
J. Mark Donaldson	....	stunt performer
Donna Evans	....	stunt driver
Dennis Fitzgerald	....	stunt driver
Tanner Gill	....	stunt coordinator
Scotty Richards	....	precision driving coordinator (as Scott Richards)
Sterling Winans	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jason Andrew	....	grip
Jake Beemer	....	rigging grip
Bob Bradshaw	....	grip
Mark Colicci	....	camera operator
Joe Crowder	....	rigging grip
Lance Dickinson	....	lighting technician
Manny Duran	....	key grip
Sean Edwards	....	dolly grip
Sean Edwards	....	grip
Lisa K. Ferguson	....	additional first assistant camera
Nick Fisher	....	camera loader
Renée George	....	best boy electrician (as Renee Kayon)
Andrew Georgopoulos	....	camera operator
Skip Haswell	....	dolly grip
Skip Haswell	....	grip
Jennifer Ann Henry	....	first assistant "a" camera
Harry Hope	....	key rigging grip
Peter Iovino	....	still photographer
Philip J. Jaffe	....	additional camera operator
Philip J. Jaffe	....	first assistant camera
Jared Jordan	....	additional second assistant camera
Vessie Kazachka	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Jeffrey Kincheloe	....	best boy rigging grip
Dan Kneece	....	additional camera operator
David Leite	....	grip
Lorna Leslie	....	additional second assistant camera
Nathan Lewis	....	camera trainee
Chris Linares	....	rigging electric
James Plannette	....	gaffer
Andrey Prikazchikov	....	rigging grip
Joseph Ruiz	....	grip
Jay Sheveck	....	libra technician
John Sosenko	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Ian Strang	....	electrician
George Sugar	....	electrician
Daniel L. Turrett	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Thomas Vandermillen	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Randy Vega	....	grip
Micah Zarlow	....	rigging grip
Philip Shanahan	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Matt Turve	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lauren Fernandes	....	casting associate
Michael Sanford	....	casting associate
Debe Waisman	....	extras casting
Alex Christopoulos	....	casting assistant (uncredited)
Pixie Monroe	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paul Black	....	costumer
Nigel Boyd	....	costumer
Barbara Inglehart	....	costume supervisor
Gia Jimenez	....	set costumer
Linda Redmon	....	key costumer
Riki Lin Sabusawa	....	set costumer
Keith M. Wegner	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Christian Dutac	....	color timer: LTC
Mark Reaser	....	hd mastering

Music Department
Vincent Artaud	....	arranger
Richard Bernard	....	conductor: stage orchestra
Frédéric Dunis	....	musician
Frédéric Dunis	....	orchestrator
Jean Gobinet	....	arranger
Didier Goret	....	arranger
Albert Guinovart	....	orchestrator
Jérôme Lateur	....	executive music producer
Michel-Ange Merino	....	arranger
Jay-Alan Miller	....	head orchestrator
Vladimir Nikolov	....	orchestrator
Brussels Philharmonic	....	orchestra
Pierrick Poirier	....	orchestrator
Mehdi Sayah	....	music production coordinator
Ludovick Tartavel	....	music editor
Ernest Vantiel	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Kip Fazzone	....	transportation captain
Billy Kane	....	transportation coordinator
Richard 'Bongo' Mitchell	....	picture car coordinator
Esteban Munoz	....	mechanic
Ron Pope	....	driver

Other crew
Laura Aldridge	....	production coordinator: usa
Tiana Amo	....	office assistant
Debra Leilani Bakeman	....	medic
Ramsey Carey	....	production assistant
Danielle J. Clark	....	production assistant
Maryann Clark	....	production assistant
Sarah Clifford	....	animal coordinator
Sarah Clifford	....	dog trainer
Sammi Cohen	....	set production assistant
Mitch deQuilettes	....	set production assistant
Caleb Duffy	....	location manager
Fred Fein	....	stand-in
Alex Garcia	....	key set medic
Alicia Gaynor	....	office assistant
Nicholas Griffith	....	additional on-set production assistant
Nicholas Griffith	....	additional production assistant
James Hagedorn	....	office & set production assistant
Anthony J. Hanna	....	production counsel
Elodie Hec	....	assistant choreographer
Laura Holeman	....	office assistant: uncredited
Mike Hoover	....	production accountant
Bobby Jauregui	....	production assistant
Jan Kay	....	armorer
Marie-Christine Lafosse	....	production coordinator: France
Grégoory Malheiro	....	press attache (as Grégory Malheiro)
Lee Philip Malin	....	location assistant
Douglas S. McClintock II	....	location scout
Shane McGonnigal	....	key location pa
Martin Metz	....	production executive
Nancy Ann Norton	....	office assistant
Justin Pastryk	....	set production assistant
David Albert Pierce	....	production counsel
Griffin Pocock	....	production assistant
Isabelle Ribis	....	script supervisor
Evan L. Robichaud	....	key production assistant
Fabien Ruiz	....	choreographer
Dominique Segall	....	press attache
Iwona Sellers	....	production executive
Victor Siegel	....	production assistant
Johanna Silverman	....	assistant to Mr. Cromwell
Bastien Sirodot	....	production executive
Kris Smith	....	script supervisor (additional script supervisor)
Laurie Stewart	....	office assistant
John Tribken	....	office assistant
Clay Valenti	....	key assistant location manager/scout
Omar Von Muller	....	dogs trainer
Lauren Willdeboer	....	assistant location manager
Justin Wragg	....	production assistant
Susan Wichmann	....	travel & event coordinator (uncredited)

Thanks
Kamel Ech-Cheik	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• La Petite Reine (co-production)
• La Classe Américaine (co-production)
• JD Prod (co-production)
• France 3 Cinéma (co-production)
• Jouror Productions (co-production)
• uFilm (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)
• France Télévision (participation)
• Le Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral de Belgique (with the support of)

Distributors

• Cinéart (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Bir Film (2012) (Turkey) (all media)
• Cinéart (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2011) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (2011) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Alliance Films (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cine Colombia (2012) (Colombia) (theatrical)
• Delphi Filmverleih Produktion (2012) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Diamond Films (2012) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Feelgood Entertainment (2011) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Filmladen (201?) (Austria) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Londra Films P&D (2012) (Bolivia) (theatrical)
• Praesens-Film (2011) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Videocine S.A. de C.V. (2012) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Wild Bunch (2011) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• DCM Film Distribution (2012) (Germany) (all media)
• EDKO Film (2012) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2012) (Thailand) (all media)
• PepperView Entertainment (2012) (Portugal) (all media)
• Sun Distribution (2011) (Non-USA) (all media) (Latin America)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (India) (all media)
• Teleview International (2011) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)

Special Effects

• Digital District (visual effects)

Other Companies

• uFund  funding
• Actuels Voyages  travel agency
• Alex's in-the-Kitchen  catering
• Animal Savvy  animals provided by
• Apollo Productions / AAR Digital  advertising and promotions
• Barbes Brothers  production management: Los Angeles
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  hydrascope telescoping crane arm
• Cinéstéréo  optical transfer
• Comerica Bank of California  banking services
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Duboicolor  digital intermediate
• Entertainment Clearances  clearances
• Gallagher Entertainment  insurance
• History For Hire  camera equipment provided by (Period Camera Equipment)
• Lobster Films  archive
• Media Services  payroll services
• Packair Airfreight  shipping
• Panavision Alga  camera equipment provided by
• Panavision Remote Systems  Technocranes and Libra Heads
• Pierce Law Group  production legal services
• Rag Place Rentals, The  lighting and technical fabrics
• S.I.S.  sound mixing studio
• Scanlab  dailies
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• Sony Music  soundtrack
• TM Motion Picture Equipment  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

"El artista" - Argentina (imdb display title), Chile (imdb display title), Colombia (imdb display title), Mexico (imdb display title), Peru (imdb display title), South America (Spanish title) (imdb display title)
"O Artista" - Brazil (imdb display title), Portugal (imdb display title)
"Артист" - Russia
"A némafilmes" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Artist" - Japan (English title) (imdb display title)
"Artistas" - Lithuania (imdb display title)
"Artistul" - Romania (imdb display title)
"Artysta" - Poland (imdb display title)
"Glumac" - Serbia (imdb display title)
"Ha'artist" - Israel (Hebrew title) (imdb display title)
"The Artist" - Greece (imdb display title)
"The Artist" - Spain (imdb display title)
"Umetnik" - Slovenia (imdb display title)
"Umjetnik" - Croatia (imdb display title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for a disturbing image and a crude gesture

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

France | Belgium

Language:

English | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | UK:PG | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:12 | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | South Korea:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Japan:G | France:U | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Sweden:7 | India:U | Brazil:12 | Germany:6 | Norway:7 | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Australia:PG | Italy:T | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

La Petite Reine

Trivia:

The role of Jack the dog was actually played by three matching Jack Russell Terriers: Uggie; Dash; and Dude, although The lead dog Uggie did the majority of scenes. All three dogs were colored before the filming began, made to look more alike.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The phonograph used is a Guild "Graphanola" - a hi-fi made to look like an outside horn machine. These were built in the mid 1950's when Hi-fi was the newest sound technology, almost 30 years after when this movie is set. A non-electric inside horn machine like a Victrola would have been more than likely used in the late 1920's, as outside horn machines were outdated by then.

Quotes:

Peppy Miller:Make way for the young!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.19" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Comme une rosée de larmes

Beware of the overhype!

If you can get your Weinstein-manipulated expectations WAY down from "Oscar" to "cute gimmick," then this cinematic truffle could very well satisfy – especially if you've ever seen and enjoyed a theatrical screening of a silent movie. There's a faithfulness to the spirit and techniques of the silent era that's undeniably impressive and will delight those few audience members (myself being one) who have enough familiarity with silent cinema to appreciate it.

But is it a movie that you should be running out to see because omnipresent web advertising says that it's an Oscar lock? Negative. If you DON'T have the required familiarity with the silent era, the charms and nostalgia evoked by the film will be completely lost on you, and you'll be far more dependent on the thin and unoriginal storyline for entertainment. (Note: the story borrows shamelessly from both SINGING IN THE RAIN and A STAR IS BORN and is fully consistent with the era's cornball aesthetic.) And even if you ARE familiar with silent cinema, "Oscar worthy" is going to seem like a stretch. Either way, if you really want to enjoy this movie, lowering your expectations from their current hype-elevated levels is imperative. (Anybody notice how remarkably similar Weinstein's overhype campaign for this film is to the one he successfully ran for Roberto Benigni's LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL years ago? Anybody watched that movie since?)

I first saw this film at the Toronto Film Festival with a full house at the spacious Elgin Theater, and it received a favorable albeit muted response from the audience. (By comparison, I saw AMELIE at the same theater ten years prior, and it received a ten-minute standing ovation at the end.) If I'd known at the time that I'd just seen the year's BEST movie, I would have been depressed over what this portended for the year-end releases.

You simply can't help being aware of the limitations of silent movies -- and thankful for the quantum improvement that the introduction of sound made -- no matter how deft the filmmakers are in recreating the look and feel of a bygone era. It's a movie-making era that you're glad IS bygone -- as evidenced by the inability of any of the gushing critics to cite a single color talkie favorite that they wish had been a b&w silent instead.

I say "A" for cinematic conceit and "C" for entertainment value ("B+" for silent film buffs).