The film concerns George Valentin a major movie star, of the silent movies. He is such a box office draw, his movies are huge crowd pleasers, he has the lifestyle to go with it, a glamorous wife, huge mansion, a chauffeur, and the love and adoration of millions of film going fans.
At a screening of his latest film he bumps into Peppy Miller, a young fan, who also decides to try her hand at acting, starting with becoming an extra. Slowly but surely her parts become more substantial and she starts to shine in the ever changing cinematic world.
The biggest change that Cinema is undergoing is the invention of the talkie. Valentin is convinced that it is a crazy fad and will not last. Miller on the otherhand is embracing the change. And whilst her films start to generate huge interest, Valentin sees his film ticket sales decline. The huge star is no longer the toast of the town.
Convinced that sound is not the answer, he decides to invest his own considerable fortune to make a new silent film. As one would expect, the film flops, and he finds himself on hard times. Oh how things can change so quickly in the fame game.
This is a Cinema goers dream film, with a style harking back to the good old days of classic Hollywood, when the Silent film was King. The story is beautifully told, with stunning cinematography. The two leads are virtual unknowns, but I feel their CV will get considerably larger after their marvellous performances in this film. They are surrounded by an all star cast, with James Cromwell playing Valentin's Chauffeur Clifton, and Penelope Miller playing Valentin's wife. Plus we also have John Goodman as the media mogul.
With a silent film, the key component is the score, and Ludovic Bource achieves full marks in this field, it beautifully compliments the image on screen.
Film goers of all ages will love this wonderous movie, and will almost certainly be crowned Best Picture at The Oscars in just over a weeks time......a classic........9 out of 10
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