"I'm blackmailing you, get it?"

Last night, the Boyfriend and I saw "The Artist." What a charming, old-fashioned, wonderful movie. There's hardly any speaking (and I mean hardly), but a whole lot of emoting. The character of Peppy Miller shines — she really is a bright little star. As I watched her, I was taken aback by how beautiful it is just to watch someone. George Valentin was charming in his own way, sure, but Peppy really embodied the whole of what her character stood for — she was young, beautiful, animated, energetic, and exciting to see (and hear, I'm sure). Really some of my favorite moments in the film (aside from any scenes involving that lovable dog!) were just the times when one or both of the main characters observed one another, taking in each others gestures, facial expressions, and body language. I didn't realize that such a visual performance, coupled with music and fantastic artistic direction, could move me so; my eyes leaked on more than one occasion. While at the Art Museum on Sunday afternoon, I heard an old man tell his companion that he, too, saw "The Artist" — his word to describe it? "Astonishing." I have to agree, for at one point last night I sighed to myself: "Remarkable." And truly, it is. If you have any appreciation for a simple, age-old story, told in a new and stunning (though beautifully familiar) way, this is the movie for you.