The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards commonly known as Oscars are scheduled for February 26, 2012 in Los Angeles. The front runner for the Best Picture of the Year Award is “The Artist”.
The French made black and white silent movie is marketed and distributed by Weinstein Company. Before the Oscar nomination, the movie was showing in 216 theaters and after the announcement it was expanded to 662 theaters. Since the announcement, the movie has made $24.9 million. If it wins the Oscar, additional $9 million ticket sales could be made.
French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius who possess a deep knowledge of silent movies take us to those days where actors told the story using their expressions rather than voice. Two French stars, Dujardin and Bejo, are brilliant in telling the 1927 George Valentin story. The film was made in Los Angeles using Hollywood film crew and some local actors. It is not totally silent and uses background music to enhance the movie. Dujardin has already won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival where the movie premiered. The film was nominated for six Golden Globes and won three. At Oscars, it is nominated for ten awards.