One of the most talked about films of this year’s Cannes festival was The Artist, a black and white silent film that tells the story of George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a silent movie star whose career is about to decline in 1927 because of the arrival of the “talkie” (1927 was the year the first “sound” film, The Jazz Singer, was released). The Weinstein Company snatched the film up for U.S. distribution even before Dujardin won the festival’s best actor award, and while it probably isn’t expected to make much money because of its style it surely will be a huge hit with the art house and film school crowd. It might even pick up a few awards during the Oscars.
The below official U.S. poster from The Hollywood Reporter looks a lot like the previously-released international version with the added Cannes accolades. It’s very arty, but again, it has the trouble of trying to sell a film that might not have much success with American crowds.
The Artist also stars Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Missi Pyle and Penelope Ann Miller. It was written, directed, and produced by Frenchman Michel Hazanavicius, who, I assume, loves silent film as much as I do. It is set for a November 23 release. You can also check out the international trailer below:
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