If you listen to L.A. Times film critic Kenneth Turan, it’s “The Artist,” hands down.

Here’s his argument for the French-made, nearly silent celebration of Tinseltown’s first golden age:

“There is, however, one quality that “The Artist” does lack. It’s a quality that many Oscar winners, not to mention a number of this year’s best picture candidates, have in abundance, and that is an off-putting sense of self-importance, a ponderousness that trumpets to the world the undying significance of what has been put on screen.

“The Artist,” by way of contrast, has the grace to wear its considerably gifts lightly. Yes, it’s got charismatic acting, a deft directorial hand, beautiful black and white cinematography, entrancing music plus a story that touches any number of emotional bases, but you never catch it breaking a sweat to convince you of its virtues. Its beating heart is Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier who stars as a dog who makes doing it all look like it’s all in a day’s work.”

Read the full story here.

I’m going with “The Artist” for the win, with “The Descendants” as my dark horse favorite. Leave your thoughts in the comments section.