Any year when George Clooney and Brad Pitt are competing against each other for an Oscar, or when gender identity (“Albert Nobbs”), racism (“The Help”), post-9/11 pain (“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”), the cost of pro sports (“Moneyball”) and illegal immigration (“A Better Life”) are prevalent themes can’t be described as a quiet one for the Academy Awards.
And yet a silent film is the major player at this year’s ultimate film event, which airs Sunday on ABC.
“The Artist,” a winsome look at the rise and fall of a charismatic silent screen star, has become the big talk of the 2012 awards season. It has earned only about $25 million, but it was showered with 10 Oscar nominations including one for best actor front-runner Jean Dujardin, who has the breezy charm of Gene Kelly.
By now, a wide audience is familiar with “The Artist,” if only as that black-and-white movie with the cute Jack Russell terrier. But can this ultimate underdog grab best picture honors? Or will the top prize go to weightier fare like “The Descendants,” a poignant family portrait led by a surprisingly vulnerable George Clooney, or “The Help,” a box-office hit elevated by the power of its three actress nominees?