--- title: "The Artist: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-artist/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-artist" critics_score: 88 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Artist (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 88 from 11 reviews: 11 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics greet The Artist with considerable warmth, praising a silent-era tribute whose humour and feeling work without specialist film knowledge. Praise centres on Dujardin’s expressive performance and his chemistry with Bejo, which give the romance its emotional weight. The reviews also admire the inventive handling of silence and sound, visual gags and close-ups. For most, the recreation of early Hollywood supports an accessible, moving story rather than becoming an exercise in imitation. Reservations concern how much substance lies beneath that charm, with a small but distinct dissent beneath the broad enthusiasm. Sight and Sound enjoys the performances but regards the film chiefly as a novelty. Slant Magazine goes further, finding a shallow reworking of A Star Is Born that neglects the realities of the transition to sound. The Skinny’s objection is narrower: the prolonged attention to the protagonist’s decline slightly weakens the emotional effect. ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2011. The critic calls the film a witty and moving homage to the silent movie era and one of the most purely enjoyable movies in years. They single out the exquisitely judged romance, comedy, and the way it touches on male pride and emotional literacy. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/22/the-artist-film-review) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 November 2011. The critic calls the film a glorious throwback and modern miracle that perfectly balances past traditions with present entertainment. It singles out the French creative team's execution and the story's emotional heart involving the leads' chemistry. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-nov-25-la-et-the-artist-20111125-story.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2011. The critic finds the film a clever, heartfelt love letter to silent cinema that avoids cuteness through its French perspective and strong lead performance by Dujardin. It highlights the charm of the dog Uggie and the director's inventive approach to the silent format. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/11/21/better-times-anthony-lane) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 22 December 2011. Hazanavicius delivers a loving silent-era recreation with heart, wit and emotional rhythm that moves between funny and sad while respecting its influences. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-artist) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2011. Festival review. The critic describes it as a heartfelt old-school romance without dialogue that delivers charm through Dujardin's performance and the silent style. It notes the retro appeal but positions it as a festival entry rather than a full release critique. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/markets-festivals/the-artist-1117945233/) ## Empire — Damon Wise 5 January 2012. The critic hails it as a wonderful, sincere love letter to cinema that communicates universal emotions with clarity and delight. They single out the chemistry between Dujardin and Bejo, the perfectly judged score, and the reconnection with the human spirit through simple gestures and close-ups. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/artist-review/) ## Evening Standard 10 April 2012. The critic calls the film funny, touching and delectable, a genuine silent film that works today through visual storytelling and charm. They single out the precision engineering that delights cineastes, the strong supporting cast including the dog Uggie, and the joyful ending. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-artist-review-7428150.html) ## Film Comment — Laura Kern The critic praises the film as a resonant love letter to early cinema that is both authentic and modern, with a moving and funny story of love and loyalty. Dujardin’s performance as the silent-era star is singled out for its charm and range. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/the-artist-review/) ## Screen Daily 15 May 2011. Festival review. A joyously enjoyable pastiche of classic Hollywood, propelled by delightful performances from Dujardin and Bejo, that is lovingly made and extremely watchable despite being a technical challenge to market. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-artist/5027562.article) ## Sight and Sound — Tony Rayns 20 December 2011. The film is a crowd-pleasing neo-silent that rehashes A Star Is Born with charm and strong performances from Dujardin and Bejo, but at core it remains a novelty hit rather than a substantive work. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/6709) ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley 16 October 2011. The film is a lazy, shallow rehash of A Star Is Born that ignores the fascinating realities of the silent-to-talkie transition era. It benefits from competent direction that evokes old movies but remains a lightweight gimmick stretched too thin. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-artist/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy 15 May 2011. Festival review. The black-and-white silent film employs an enjoyable conceit about a star's decline amid the advent of talkies. It succeeds in approximating the spirit and energy of late silent pictures through strong performances and production design. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/artist-cannes-review-188493/) ## The Independent — Jonathan Romney 31 December 2011. The critic praises the film as a smart, witty and inventive pastiche of silent cinema that honours the era while feeling alive and modern. They single out the note-perfect direction, performances by Dujardin and Bejo, and the way it rediscovers the power of simple images. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-artist-michel-hazanavicius-100-mins-pg-6283541.html) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 24 November 2011. The critic praises the film as a generous, touching expression of movie love that celebrates the power of silent cinema without needing words. It singles out the lead performances and nostalgic storytelling for making it aggressively entertaining. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/25/movies/the-artist-by-michel-hazanavicius-review.html) ## Total Film — Neil Smith 12 December 2011. The critic describes it as a delightful homage to silent cinema that is tender, witty and clever. They single out the way it combines elements of Singin' in the Rain and A Star Is Born into a great big hug of a movie that leaves audiences smiling. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-artist-review/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 5/5. 18 December 2011. The critic calls it an outstanding, one-of-a-kind film that is elegantly crafted and among the finest of 2011. Creative use of sound and the chemistry between the leads are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-artist-review/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 5/5. 24 December 2011. The critic hails it as a brilliantly playful and magical homage to 1920s-30s Hollywood that ranks above idle spoof. The inventive gags, witty use of silence and sound, and the ensemble performances are singled out. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a352275/the-artist-review/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating A. 21 November 2011. The review calls it a joyous, big-hearted tribute that's wildly entertaining and a pure joy, highlighting the masterful use of silent film techniques and emotional depth. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-the-artist-a-joyous-big-hearted-tribute-to-old-school-moviemaking-20111121/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A-. 25 November 2011. Festival review. The critic praises the film's playful and affectionate tribute to silent cinema, highlighting Jean Dujardin's magnificent performance and the thoughtful subtext about cinema's evolution. They note minor drags but overall find it engaging and uplifting. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-artist-review-2/) ## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2011. The critic praises the film as an exuberant love letter to cinema with style, wit, insight, and heart, noting how it makes one laugh and cry in quick succession through its honest storytelling and references to old Hollywood. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-artist-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) ## The Skinny — Philip Concannon Rating 4/5. 16 December 2011. The critic describes it as a stupendously entertaining crowdpleaser with effervescent performances and inventive touches. The extended focus on the protagonist’s fall is noted as a minor misjudgement that slightly undercuts emotional depth. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-artist) ## Paste — Annlee Ellingson Rating 8.4. 22 November 2011. The review lauds the film's honoring of both form and content in its ode to Hollywood's Golden Age, with standout performances especially from Dujardin who transforms convincingly. It singles out the provocative use of sound and the artful cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-artist) ## The Wrap 23 November 2011. The film is a charming, sweet, funny and sad tale that functions as a crowd-pleaser even without deep film knowledge. It singles out the lead performance of Jean Dujardin for praise as perfectly evoking a silent-era star. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/artist-charming-valentine-vintage-hollywood-33039/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-artist.md