My Favorite “Little” Movies
Independent, low-budget, big-hearted, well-written, well-acted, intimate little films that will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye.
Twice a year, in the summer and at Christmas time, Hollywood rolls out their big blockbuster movies, full of special effects, including 3D. But you know, I rarely go back to those films. The movies I keep coming back to are what I would call "little films": movies that are full of intimacy, a good story and memorable characters. Those are the films that last, and, if it's possible, change lives.
Here are some of my favorite "little" movies. For the most part they're independent, low-budget films; yet, they're all well-written, well-acted and full of heart. They're the kind of movie that puts a smile on your face and a tear in your eye. I hope you enjoy them. Happy New Year!
The Artist (2011)
5-Star Masterpiece - Romantic Comedy-Drama - starring Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo and John Goodman; written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius - Weinstein Company
Rarely do I see a movie that I would call "perfect"… but this one is. It has everything: a wonderfully touching story, great performances, beautiful cinematography and score. The one thing it lacks is sound. That's right - it's a silent film. Because it is about a silent movie star, the producers decided to make the film itself silent. When I first heard about it, I doubted that a silent film would work today, let alone get to me - but it did. It is the most delightful film I've seen in a long, long time. The details of late 1920s Hollywood, when sound movies were making their debut, are perfect: no film has ever been successful at capturing that period, in my opinion - until now.
With great charisma and charm, French actor Jean Dujardin portrays silent film star George Valentin (loosely based on Douglas Fairbanks), the hottest idol in Hollywood, and someone who really enjoys the spotlight. Then he meets Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), a young woman who wants to break into film herself. George is taken with her and decides to give her a break; in the process, they fall in love. Then sound enters the picture, and movies go from silent to talkies almost overnight. As George, who is unequipped for this change, watches his star fall, Peppy's rises meteorically. It's a classic love story set against the most turbulent years of Hollywood.
The filmmakers masterfully use the medium of silent film to tell their story in a very poignant and very clever way that I predict will take the Oscars this year by storm. (Dujardin has already won Best Actor at Cannes and the Golden Globes for his performance, and the film itself has won Best Comedy and Best Score at the Golden Globes.) There are many nods to Hollywood icons, including Singing In The Rain (which deals with the same time period), A Star Is Born (which, like The Artist, deals with the rise of a young actress and the fall of an older actor), Asta (the scene-stealing dog from The Thin Man series), etc. John Goodman is wonderfully cast against type as producer Al Zimmer. For those who love good movies, this one will steal your heart.
Rated PG-13
My Latest Work – Pirate Illustrations for the Travel Channel
Last fall, I was asked to do some illustrations for a series on the Travel Channel called "Hidden City," dealing with infamous crimes in places that people like to visit. One of the episodes - which airs Tuesday, January 24 at 9 PM - is about the Florida Keys, and involves a notorious pirate named Black Caesar, who roamed the Keys in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The filmmakers at Crazy Legs Productions here in Atlanta, producers of the series, needed some illustrations of the pirate, since very few pictures had ever been done of him. I accepted the commission, and below are the results. I hope you enjoy them. I also hope you will watch the show next Tuesday night on the Travel Channel. It's very entertaining.
