The Artist

3 Paws

Seen recently at Film Streams

Every once in a while, something magical happens on screen that defies the odds. Why - in this country, anyway - would anyone give a whit about a new black-and-white silent film whose best known cast members are Roseanne's husband and the "that'll do, pig" guy from Babe?

Jean Dujardin is nothing short of mesmerizing as George Valentin. He's part Gene Kelly in look and movement and part Jimmy Stewart in heart. His climactic scene reminded me of George Bailey's desperate moments in Giuseppe Martini's bar (I found tissues necessary). I'd love to see what he could do with dialogue.

Maybe I'm just a romantic. Maybe I was seduced by the costuming and set design. Maybe I needed a stunningly beautiful reminder about the potential of humans (and canines) to change the direction of a life. Does any of that matter? Go see it.

Bonus Bones: 25
Uggie's tricks are awesome, but his best moments are the quiet ones when he's just doing his companion thing (the recovery scene with George Valentin in Peppy Miller's home is incredibly sweet). Here's to a happy and healthy retirement.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2.5 Paws

Seen recently at Aksarben Cinema

I was warned going in that I had to concentrate to keep up with this cerebral thriller. That was a little like icing the kicker. I found myself distracted by the set design (I want a dumbwaiter, even though I have no secret files to transport) and the retro costuming (that's my kind of office Christmas party).

Now that I know how it ends, I'd like to watch it from the beginning again to see which clues I missed that pointed at the outcome. Although Gary Oldman got the Oscar nomination for his lead role, I was most impressed by three of the lesser-known actors in the all-star cast - Tom Hardy as Ricky Tarr, Benedict Cumberbatch (I'm not making this up) as Peter Guillam and Mark Strong (the bad guy in the 2009 version of Sherlock Holmes) as Jim Prideaux.

The moral of the story? It's never who they want you to think it is.

Bonus Bones: 4
Two for the two street dogs we see in the street scenes, and two for the black yapper who lives in the house where the traitor does his trading.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2 Paws
Seen recently at Marcus Midtown Cinema

It confirmed my fear of heights.

Other than that, there's not much to say about this "I'm still relevant" vehicle for Tom Cruise. Director Brad Bird tries infusing humor into this MI version, and Simon Pegg does deliver as the nerd who finally gets his chance to be an operative. I'm not sure it works overall in this genre, though. I remember watching the television series with my family as a grade schooler. While I was never quite sure what was happening, I loved the intrigue and the pace of the action - it was where my love of suspense was born.

One particularly bright spot is Anil Kapoor's tiny role as an Indian tycoon with a thing for the ladies - he needs more screen time in this country, Hollywood.

Bonus Bones: 0
No dogs in this desert.

The Sammies

Oscar, meet Sammie.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its nominees this morning, and while this venerable group got some things right (a supporting actor nomination for Christopher Plummer in Beginners), it missed the boat in some cases.

In an effort to recognize the contributions of our four-legged friends to the film industry, below is the inaugural list of nominees for the annual Sam on Cinema award. All films nominated for a Sammie were reviewed by this blog in 2011 and feature a performance by a dog or dogs. (I'm still waiting to see Uggie do his thing in The Artist.) They are:

• Hugo
• 50/50
• Super 8
• Jane Eyre
• Beginners

The winner of the first Sammie will be announced following the Feb. 26 Oscar telecast.