The Artist(2011)

Plot Summary

• In 1927, silent films are all the rage. The films use text title cards to communicate with the audience. The movies are played in a concert hall where a live orchestra provides the mood for the scene being played on the screen.Silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is posing for pictures outside the premiere of his latest hit film, A Russian Affair, with his co-star Costance (Missi Pyle). However, Valentin gives more importance to his dog Jack (Uggie), than to Constance, infuriating her. It is evident that Valentin is an attention seeker and a darling of the audience. People line up across the block to get a glimpse of him and hang on his every word.A young woman, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) is part of the crowd, being held back by the policemen. She bends down to pick up her diary, which she dropped. As a result, she accidentally bumps into Valentin when she is getting back up. The entire crowd is stunned, and they wait to see what Valentin's reaction would be. Valentin reacts with humor to the accident and shows off Peppy for the cameras. Peppy is not a particularly beautiful woman but she is very energetic in the spotlight and enjoys every moment of it. Peppy acts on her impulse and ends up kissing Valentin on the cheeks.The next day, Peppy finds herself on the front page of Variety with the headline "Who's That Girl?" Valentin's wife is livid with him, for letting strange women kiss him. Turns out Peppy is an extra at Kinograph studios, where Valentin shoots all of his movies. Meanwhile Valentin asks his driver Clifton to visit the jewelry store and buy something nice for his wife Doris.Later, Peppy auditions as a dancer in Valentin's movie and is spotted by Valentin. Peppy is astonished to run into Valentin again. Al Zimmer, the studio boss, was also upset since due to Valentin's kissing antics, their movie was not even mentioned till page 5 of the papers. Zimmer fires Peppy and asks her to leave the studio. Valentin insists that she plays a part in Kinograph Studios' next production, despite objections from the studio boss, Al Zimmer (John Goodman).While performing a scene together, Valentin and Peppy show great chemistry, despite her being merely an extra. As Valentin is not serious around Peppy, it takes multiple takes to get a simple shot done. Valentin is almost tempted into kissing Peppy once again. Valentin leaves the set as he cannot control his emotions.Peppy later enters Valentin's room ad leaves a message on his mirror. It is clear that Peppy is smitten with Valentin. Valentin enters the room and watches Peppy. He decides to groom her for a career in acting. Valentin draws a beauty spot on her, which will eventually be her trademark, after finding her in his dressing room. With a little guidance from Valentin Peppy slowly rises through the industry, earning more prominent starring roles. Gradually Peppy finds herself listed in the cast of the movie. At first, they get the spelling of her name wrong and list her as Pepi, but as her popularity grows, she gets a more prominent font size, and now the studio gets the spelling right as well.Soon, Peppy starts landing prominent roles in the movies, and not as an extra.Two years later in 1929, Zimmer announces the end of production of silent films at Kinograph Studios, but Valentin is dismissive, insisting that sound is just a fad. The sound is recorded by hanging a mic on the set of the movie and making sure that all the actors are facing the mic when they deliver their dialogue. This revolutionizes that audience experience and is a major evolution for the motion picture industry.In a dream, Valentin begins hearing sounds from his environment, but cannot speak himself, then wakes up in a sweat. He decides to produce and direct his own silent film, financing it himself. The film opens on the same day as Peppy's new sound film as well as the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Now Valentin's only chance of avoiding bankruptcy is for his film to be a hit. Unfortunately, audiences flock to Peppy's film instead and Valentin is ruined. His wife, Doris (Penelope Ann Miller), kicks him out, and he moves into an apartment with his valet/chauffeur, Clifton (James Cromwell), and his dog. Peppy quickly becomes the first of several major new Hollywood sound film stars.Later, the bankrupt Valentin is forced to auction off all of his personal effects, and fires Clifton, telling him to get another job. Depressed and drunk, Valentin angrily sets a match to his private collection of his earlier films. As the nitrate film quickly blazes out of control he is overwhelmed by the smoke and passes out inside the burning house, still clutching a single film canister.However, Valentin's dog attracts the help of a nearby policeman, and after being rescued Valentin is hospitalized for injuries suffered in the fire. Peppy visits the hospital and discovers that the film he rescued is the one she was first in. She asks for him to be moved to her house to recuperate. Valentin awakens in a bed at her house, to find that Clifton is now working for Peppy. His ego hurt, Valentin shows ingratitude for Peppy having taken him in, prompting Clifton to remind him of his changing luck.Peppy insists to Zimmer that Valentin co-star in her next film, threatening to quit Kinograph if Zimmer does not agree to her terms. After Valentin learns to his dismay that it had been Peppy that had purchased all his auctioned effects, he returns in despair to his burned-out apartment. Peppy arrives, panicked, and finds that Valentin is about to attempt suicide. The two reconcile, and remembering Valentin's superb dancing ability, Peppy persuades Zimmer to let them make a musical together.Sound finally comes in as the film starts rolling for a dance scene with Peppy and Valentin. Once the choreography is complete, the two dancers are heard panting, and the only time in the film sound is heard coming from Peppy, who otherwise says nothing.

Storyline

• Outside a movie premiere, enthusiastic fan Peppy Miller literally bumps into the swashbuckling hero of the silent film, George Valentin. The star reacts graciously and Peppy plants a kiss on his cheek as they are surrounded by photographers. The headlines demand: "Who's That Girl?" and Peppy is inspired to audition for a dancing bit-part at the studio. However as Peppy slowly rises through the industry, the introduction of talking-pictures turns Valentin's world upside-down. — L. Hamre It's 1927. Arguably Hollywood's most admired movie screen idol, George Valentin, is enjoying the success of his latest picture, The Russian Affair. He enjoys his work and the adulation he receives by being a movie star, as witnessed by how he hogs the spotlight during The Russian Affair's post-premiere bows. Peppy Miller is an aspiring young actress, who literally and figuratively runs into Valentin at the premiere, which ends up being the launching pad to her Hollywood acting career. The advent of talking pictures brings a reversal to their fortunes as Kinograph, the movie studio where Valentin is under contract, is looking for fresh faces such as Peppy Miller to star in their talking pictures, while Valentin resists the entire notion of talking pictures. Peppy, who appreciates everything that Valentin did for her career, tries to help him as much as she can, but Valentin may have to decide on his own where and if he fits into the Hollywood machine, one where he doesn't think people want to hear him speak. — Huggo It's the end of the 1920 and matinée idol George Valentin is the star of Kinograph motion pictures. He's a good man, even helping out a young dancer, Peppy Miller, get her first break. Times are changing however and studio head Al Zimmer sees talking pictures as the future of the industry but George thinks that's ridiculous. As Kinograph goes in a new direction, George decides that he's going to produce and direct a great - but silent - film, Tears of Joy. When the film does little business at the box office, George is destitute. Peppy Miller meanwhile has a hit movie, Beauty Spot and learning of George's situation, decides to help him out. — garykmcd In the 1920s, actor George Valentin is a bona fide matinee idol with many adoring fans. While working on his latest film, George finds himself falling in love with an ingenue named Peppy Miller and, what's more, it seems Peppy feels the same way. But George is reluctant to cheat on his wife with the beautiful young actress. The growing popularity of sound in movies further separates the potential lovers, as George's career begins to fade while Peppy's star rises. — Jwelch5742 1 more See all