By Hindustan Times
Mumbai, Feb. 26 -- He recently beat all-time favourites George Clooney (The Descendents) and Brad Pitt (Moneyball) on the BAFTAs. And now everyone's talking a few Best Actor Oscar for French actor Jean Dujardin, for his act within the Artist. However the world's most famed silent film star today is unconcerned with the labels that individuals wish to placed on him.
"I'm pretty tough on myself, but I'm happy with my work within the Artist. The faucet dance was the most important challenge, and the retake and the premiere were the hardest scenes," he says. In Michel Hazanavicius's black-and-white silent film, Jean plays the a part of the charismatic George Valentin, the matinee idol of Hollywood's silent era, who thinks he's too big for the brand new fad called 'Talkies'. "But I AM NOT like George, I'VE moments of anguish and doubt. I WILL BE ABLE TO go from being filled with joy to being very silent," says the actor.
While he knew of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton before filming The Artist, it was silent movies like Sunrise (1927) and The gang (1928) that he calls "the actual discovery". "Valentin is modelled on Douglas Fairbanks (American actor known for silent films like Robin Hood, The Mask Of Zorro). He was happy in his own skin and content to make the similar pantomime movies over and over. It was good to grasp that there has been another acting style that helped me build a bridge with modern audiences," says Jean.
Ever since he received his first Best Actor Award at Cannes last May, life has changed for Jean, who began learning English in October. So is he Hollywood bound now? "I BELIEVE the French can be really angry if I left," he laughs, adding, "Seriously, it might need to be the role for me, in conjunction with the tale and the director for that to happen. It is all about human relationships, not a Hollywood machine. I NEED to work with a director who becomes my brother and father for 2 months, because I'LL BE giving myself to him."
Next up for Jean is a romantic thriller, Mobius, set on the planet of finance. He plays the role of a spy opposite Cecile de France. Then, the remake of Claude Berri's rom-com, One Wild Moment (Un moment D'egarement), by which actor Vincent Cassel and he are best friends who fall out after one among them attracts the romantic attention of the other's daughter. And there is Les Infideles: "Infidelity has not been explored deeply in films, that is why I NEEDED to head the entire way with Les Infideles," says Jean, who hopes that The Artist, which opened within the country last Friday, will work well here too. "Hopefully, someday I CAN visit India."
