The Artists (2006)

• 74%
• 2006
• Documentary
• Susanne Ullerich

Blacklisted by the industry, a group of Hollywood rejects band together under the guidance of former film director Miles Morris and his agent Caine Powers. Operating with a precision and determination that would put many a Hollywood studio to shame, this rag-tag team of writers, actors, makeup artists and stunt men devise and execute elaborate scams to separate their unsuspecting former employers, Hollywood's super-rich, from their not so hard-earned wealth. The year-end is approaching and with it comes the usual pressure to better last year's results. New concepts are pitched and rejected until the final two scripts are green-lit. Everything is falling into place, just like Miles' jigsaw puzzle, when the disappearance of a key actor attracts the scrutiny of an FBI special agent. The agent appears to have inside knowledge. Is there a mole? If so, who? Could it be the aging actor Roland Naismith persuaded to return for a final encore? Or perhaps Sofia Morales, Morris' trusted companion? Maybe she has more than Miles to go before she sleeps. Just like their Hollywood counterparts, the scams drive relentlessly towards their climax in a frenzy of celebration and unspoken paranoia. The paranoia is justified when a key player is killed, but how warranted is the celebration? All is revealed as the final constellation is placed in Van Gogh's Starry Night.