THE ARTIST (2011) had its world premier in Cannes last May where it won Best Actor (Jean Dujardin) and was nominated for the Palme d'Or. Recently it won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musicaland, Golden Globe Best Original Score - Motion Picture Ludovic Bource, and Golden Globe Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical Thomas Langmann.

The Oscar nominations have now been announced and THE ARTIST holds heavy at the top of the list of favorites. This viewer hopes it sails past the other films with all their weighty Oscar campaigns and star status. THE ARTIST has soared its way to the top with sheer merit as a groundbreaking masterpiece that goes against all the commercial/marketing film status-quo (It's black and white, French and silent!). THE ARTIST is this year's true Art and has my vote as Best Picture.

Other nominations include:
The Descendants- Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers; Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close-
Scott Rudin, Producer; The Help-
Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers; Hugo- Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers; Midnight in Paris-
Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers; Moneyball-
Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers; The Tree of Life-
Nominees to be determined; War Horse-
Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

written by Vanessa McMahon

Actor James Cromwell at Doha (DIFF), who plays 'Clifton' in the Golden Globe winning film, THE ARTIST (2011).

Photos by Vanessa McMahon