Mabuse

Foriegn language films are routinely marketed in a way so that you can't tell they're subtitled. Typically the trailer doesn't show any dialogue. I've been in theaters plenty of times where 4-5 people shoot out of their seats in the first five minutes once they see the subtitles.

foofighters7

^
which is just bizarre to me!

You would think that people who see a preview and think, "wow that story looks good", would still be excited to see it even if they didn't know it was subtitled.

I really grow weary of people refusing to see foreign films because "they have to read".

I have a film shop and it's amazing how many people come in and complain about a film because of "havin' to read it!" or "I hate dim movies where ya gotta read it cause dim words go too fast!"

It really is beyond me. I understand you might not want a foreign film every day but to refuse a film based simply on the fact that it is subtitled? Odd.

SPiRAL

It's showing at 2 theaters near my work. I'm going to wait till it hit's the Laemmle in Pasadena next week. It's close to home and they have $5 tuesday tix. Either way it looks damn good.

Mabuse

Maybe one of the reasons they do it is because they feel mislead by the marketing. I think the foriegn films that hide their foreigness in the trialer are very deceptive.

foofighters7

^
Even if that is true, what does it matter? A good film is a good film, no matter what language it's shot in. If someone would discriminate against a film based upon it having subtitles then they clearly are not true film lovers.

I'm just fine with film distributors being tricky with the trailers if they choose. The people who they are aiming toward will already know the truth and will not care. The morons who go not knowing anything, thinking it's in English and are offended- well screw em' for being unwilling to expand themselves in the slightest way.

Dan

Looks like I'm going to a free screening of this next week. I'm excited. My wife thinks I'm crazy.

Rypro 525

Ive noticed that Sony Pictures Classics is one of the few studios that shows that the movie is subtitled in the trailer. it seems like its mainly action/martial arts movies that have deceptive trailers.

I can only imagine how many people 'walked out' of inglorious basterds as the first 25 minutes are mostly subtitled outside of that one section in the middle of that scene where they decide to speak english

Solid Snake

seeing IB...nobody left during those parts.

Hazel Motes

The Artist ranks somewhere in the top 3 films I've seen this year. And I've seen a hell of a lot of movies this year.

bluetoast

I plan on seeing this at an AFI theater, for the old timey feel.

Osiris3657

I don't see this as a risk, I bet the budget is small and should have no problem making back that amount...especially with the critical buzz.

Goldberg74

I'm excited to see this someday... but I find the rating funny:

PG-13 for a Disturbing Image and a Crude Gesture.

Really? Must be a really disturbing image and a really crude gesture.

foofighters7

Rated PG-13 for a wry smile and a limp wrist.

For once I'd like to see

"Rated R for masturbation throughout and a scene of carnage all involving children wearing fur."

'The Artist' is getting close to me but not close enough. I'm hoping by next week or the following I can finally see this!

Rypro 525

per an imdb "parents guide" the mpaa must of found worthy enough of a PG-13 rating. Granted they also thought Tree of Life was PG-13 worthy

bluetoast

Just got back from this at the AFI, had a great time seeing it, and I want to check it out again. Definitely one of the best of the year.

mdc3000

Great movie, perfect performances and really well done - However, they need a NO FOOD OR DRINK policy when you see this thing, because the soundtrack is very low key and for 90% of the duration, all I could hear was people in the theatre CHOMPING, which annoyed the shit out of me. Well worth seeing and certainly worthy of praise. I'm not sold on it's merits as 'Best Picture' but between this and Hugo, film theorist/critics are sure to have a nerd boner all holiday season.

filmerp

There was an awful lot of talking for a silent film... wait, that was coming from the two spinsters sitting to my right, and a younger couple to my left snuck in some asian cuisine in the world's noisiest wax/butcher paper bag.

Anyway, I fell in love with a woman tonight, and her name is Peppy Miller!

The Bus

Really, really fun film. Stylistically, it succeeds, and it has as many references/homages as a Tarantino film. My issue is that the story is incredibly threadbare. It means that people will remember this for its stylistic choices, not the stories or characters.

Bérénice Bejo is a doll.

Nicholas Vargo

Saw it again for a second time last night. It is now officially the best film I have seen all year! And that's saying something considering my Top 2 were Super 8 and Hugo. On the second viewing, both films got trampled. You leave The Artist floating on air with a big fat smile on your face. It's very funny, very touching, and absolutely dazzling! If you live within an hour or two of a theatre that is showing it, do yourself a favor and make the trip out. It's absolutely worth it!

Patman

What's this, a silent film about the transitional period of silent flms turning into the talkies? The ironic meta-ness of this film, "The Artist" is quite charming, and uses quite a few cinematic nuggets from the film era of the late 1920s to tell the story of George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), star of many silent films, and Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), a up-and-coming dancing starlet, who become somewhat intertwined in the business of making movies as George's star descent and Peppy's star ascents. Jujardin and Bejo have nice on-screen chemistry, and Valentin's dog is great.

The film has lot going for it, though the middle act is dramatically a bummer, purposefully so, otherwise, with such a light touch in tone and style, the film more than makes up for it with such a faithful use of the silent film genre to tell it tale. One theme that resonated with me is when it examines, broadly, the notion of whether or not the meaning of art comes from the message or the medium, or a confluence of both.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

PopcornTreeCt

Everything worked pitch-perfect. If there ever was a perfect movie this would be it. Loved every moment of it.

kefrank

Saw this over the weekend and really enjoyed. Might be my favorite movie of the year. I hope the academy gives that dog a best supporting actor nomination.

Edited to add: the music from the Vertigo score in the climactic scene pulled me out of it a little. I'm surprised they chose such iconic music from another movie's score, though I suppose it can be justified as homage.

Sondheim

So, to my great surprise, this is opening at several of the local multiplexes this Friday. Which makes me think two things:

A. It's really freaking cool that a silent film is going to be playing at regular theaters in 2012.

and

B. If I go to see it one of the multiplexes instead of my local arthouse, am I going to be surrounded by people who didn't research what they were going to watch (other than that it won the Golden Globe), and who are going to become increasingly frustrated/angry as they realize what it is? Or is it enough of a "crowd-pleaser" that people, even those with an aversion to black-and-white/silent films, have a good chance of enjoying it anyway?

It may seem like a stupid question, but I tend to be (stupidly) self-conscious and get pulled out of the film when I'm in a theater watching anything slightly less "mainstream," especially if it seems clear that the audience isn't enjoying it. (Which, yes, is very inexplicable and stupid, since I had nothing to do with the making of the film and did not personally tell all those people to go see it.)

TomOpus

That's good to hear. I was hoping for a little wider release.

PopcornTreeCt

I saw it at a arthouse theater and the audience was great. Laughed when they were supposed to, no talking at all, and applauded at the end. If you can go to an early showing on a Wednesday (or something similar) then you shouldn't worry. It is a crowd pleaser but only if people know what to expect.