irish23

If you're a fan of old movies, or even if you've been afraid of being put off by them, "The Artist" is a great way to ease yourself into the medium. The size of the screen, the typefaces, the quality of film, the gestures, all the graphic design, the sweeping score, the dazzling acting -- all of it is pure vintage Hollywood.

The lead's smile is pure Gene Kelly but his style is absolute Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Tremendous style and panache. Poppy isn't nearly so true to the art form (I was disappointed to see that no woman bit the back of her hand, the standard indication of horror, surprise, or shock in the silents!) but is still winning as George's true love.

The picture is primarily delightfully comic, with even a terrier-like dog reminiscent of Asta from the "Thin Man" movies, but has elements of pathos borrowed from "A Star is Born." The story bogged down a bit about two-thirds of the way through, but quickly got back on track with driving energy reaching a wonderful finale.

My last point is merely a comment on what a treat it was to go to the movies and not be jolted in my seat by the sound of explosions or experience sensory overload with special effects. This picture is easy on the senses and sweet on the heart. Give it a try.

While this documentary meets the minimum requirements for technical prowess, the film itself is difficult to watch. I couldn't finish it -- made it through about the first hour.

The action starts with Ms Pearl opening up her backyard to victims of Katrina. This generous and positive beginning quickly devolves into sordid episodes of alcoholism and abuse. The cruelty and degradation shown on-screen is understandable given the situation, but it was very difficult to watch. I couldn't help but feel I was intruding on very personal life stories.

Were the documentarians exploiting people's suffering in the name of journalism? I tend to lean that way. Of course, they couldn't know how it would turn out, but I think there comes a time when human decency calls for the camera to be shut off and the crew to go home.

I've seen many documentaries but few have gripped me as this one did. The combination of live action, computer graphics, and scholarly voice-over made it a compelling picture. Unlike many feature films, I didn't even look at the clock to see when it would be over.

The only drawback for me was that some of the science went by a little too quickly. I got the general idea of "the column collapses" but would have liked it to be explored a little more in order to have a more comprehensive view.

The inclusion of artifacts was especially moving, particularly when paired with imagined scenes. Overall this is a great documentary -- we could use more like it!