The Artist (2011)

A silent movie star meets a young dancer, but the arrival of talking pictures sends their careers in opposite directions. (IMDb)

While its compellingly tragic lead bemoans the death of silent film, the film itself showcases its unique (in today’s age) beauty, most notably in its incredible transformative score, impacting emotive acting, and excellent visual storytelling (the newspaper montages look amazing). Full of clever symbolism (recall his opening film [“Speak!”] and the powerful sound-featuring dream sequence) and smart plays on its own conventions (“Bang!”), the meta brilliance of this film cannot be understated.

8.5/10 (Amazing)