THE ARTIST & COOL LUKE

TAKING A CHANCE
REEL THOUGHTS

THE GENIUS OF THE ARTIST

       I hope someone tells the story of the  pitch session for the Artist. A black and white silent film in 2012?

       It is destined to be a classic in two epochs-ours and in some time warp sense the era of silent films.

       It is visually stunning, from the retro opening credits.

The score is understandably superb, it is almost exclusively the only audio. There are a few moments where that illusion is broken, and it has a jarring but successful effect.

        I would love to have heard how it was pitched and how it was received.  Obviously it was a bold and truly fresh idea in an industry with a lot of rehashing and retelling. That it is a French product may explain why some career minded studio exec and his or her committee of sycophants did not squash it.
        Director Michel Hazanavicius has given us a look, style and story unlike any you've seen for a while, unless you are a fan of the old silent movies.  His wife, the beautiful co-star Berenice Bejo, is alluring and fantastic as the ingenue. Male co-star Jean Dujardin personifies the perfect silent era matinee idol.  The story plays like a classic.  It is not hard to see why theaters are full and why it's gotten the buzz. This is a film to be savored and enjoyed.

THINKING ABOUT A NAP

It is easy to love this cat.  He 
is a mellow sort, though he loves 
to climb on my car.  A friend said
it is the "Bengal" quality in his genes.
When he's not playing hunter or climbing something
he's content to nap.  In fact he
seems to be always in pursuit of the next nap.
See you down the trail.