Two things to say:

1. I was surprised how many people were in the theater on a Wednesday afternoon. I've seen silent movies in theaters before, but never a new silent film. The last was Metropolis, and I suspect most people in the theater had seen versions of that film before. But The Artist is new and offered genuine surprises. It was a great pleasure to hear someone gasp at a title card.

2. I've heard people say that the main actor, Jean Dujardin, resembles either Sean Connery or Gene Kelley, while I've been saying he's clearly meant to look like Douglas Fairbanks. After seeing the movie, I feel some vindication, because there is a scene where George Valentin is sitting in his apartment watching the 1920 film The Mark of Zorro, and I'm pretty sure we're meant to see Douglas Fairbanks as George Valenin.