First, can somebody please explain to me why this movie got a PG-13 rating? Ignore that rating, folks. I recommend this movie for anyone.

This is one of those movies that flew under my RADAR a bit. I had seen passing mention of it, but had not taken the time to find out much about it. A couple people I knew eventually saw it and told me I needed to see it, so I investigated further and decided I should check it out. And I am happy to report that it is a good thing I did. It is a highly enjoyable movie, with a perfect sense of period story and style. Definitely a unique movie. One that can come along every once in a while and just work.

Writing: All things being equal, the story is pretty basic. I would have appreciated a little bit more variety or nuance to it, but what is there is very likable. The characters are a bit obvious, but again, it plays well into the concept. If not for the period style gimmick, it might not, but that is fine.

Production: This is where the movie shines. It perfectly captures the silent movie look and feel. It captures what works without succumbing to the limitations. In fact, it finds fun ways to take advantage of those limitations. Attention to detail is a strong point of the production, from the proper “Hollywoodland” sign to the set design and location choices, it shows a true love of the time and medium it portrays.

Cast: The lead actors, Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo, do a nice job. As they are French actors, I was unfamiliar with either of them. Part of the fun, and a primary conceit of the movie itself, is the ability to have French actors in the roles they play. Along for the ride is a fun assortment of supporting actors. A number of them have done excellent work in period films before. From the great Penelope Ann Miller in Chaplin & The Shadow to Ed Lauter in The Rocketeer to John Goodman in Matinee (again playing a movie producer), they had plenty of experience. We also have other great actors like James Cromwell and Missi Pyle getting to have some fun. The real star of the movie, though, is the dog.

Music: Composer Ludovic Bource has almost no other film composition credit to his resume, but he does an admirable job with the music for this movie. For obvious reasons, music is more important to this film than it is to most any other modern movie. He accurately captures the style of the era. While I am a big movie music fanatic, the silent and golden age of film are not my personal favorite. I like some of the scoring from that era, but much of it is too “on the nose” in style (I have the same opinion of the acting – and probably would not care too much for the performances in this film when separated from the period concept of this movie). Given the conceptual approach to it all, I liked how well this score worked with the material. I am not sure how much play the soundtrack will get from me, but I will give it a shot.