Hugo (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Want movie magic during this Thanksgiving holiday? Look no further than 'Hugo' (based on an imaginative historical fiction book & directed by Martin Scorsese). The film opens circa 1930 with a glorious shot of Paris as the 3D camera swoops into Monparnasse train station; and the narrative focuses on orphan Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield, of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), who lives "inside the walls" of said train station. Having learned the art of repairing timepieces from his father (Jude Law), a clockmaker who died in a fire, Hugo spends his lonely days keeping the station's clocks ticking - when he's not stealing food from bakeries. Hugo also has a hobby: trying to repair an automaton his dad was working on at the time of his unfortunate death.
To do this, Hugo must steal screws, cogs, gears, & other material from a shopkeeper who turns out to be the legendary director of silent films (from 1896-1914), Georges Melies (Sir Ben Kingsley). In Melies' goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), Hugo finds a friend & ally. But he also has a foe - the Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), who is always on the prowl for Hugo to send him to an orphanage. Before long, Hugo is caught up in a magical, mysterious adventure involving his late father, the automaton, & the buried secrets of the masterful Georges Melies.
Scorsese's depiction of Paris is - to quote Georges Melies' opinion of movies - the stuff of dreams. We mostly see it through Hugo's pale eyes as he gazes out windows of a clock tower. His presence inside of clocks & on catwalks allows him to observe the lives of others in the station: the inspector, a flower seller (Emily Mortimer) that the inspector is sweet on, a croissant shop owner (Frances de la Tour), her adorable dog, a newsstand owner (Richard Griffiths) who tries to get closer to the croissant shop owner, & all the train passengers). So by watching them, he dwells less on his own loneliness. Isabelle is his salvation; a true friend, & someone who yearns for the kind of adventure in life that she reads about in books from Mr. Labisse's (Christopher Lee) bookshop.
'Hugo' is a wonderful tale of machinery, magic, memories & dreams. Scorsese pays homage to the pioneers of movies & several of their old films (even integrating them into the station plot involving Hugo). i.e., Arrival of a Train at the Station. One of the most fascinating (and sad) facts about Melies is that he made over 530 films, and yet most were apparently melted down & turned into heels on shoes after WWI. As noted in the film, only 1 print of his productions exists - 1902's A Trip to the Moon. Due to the public's lack of interest in his films, as well as his own depression, Melies retired from the industry; hence, becoming a shop owner in the train station. In telling this story, Scorsese shows us - with INCREDIBLE recreations - Melies' inventiveness when making those films. And at the same time, Scorsese conveys a potent message that all films should be preserved, or they could disappear forever, like Melies' masterworks.
At first glance, Ben Kingsley only appears to be playing a bumbling old man-type. But by the end, we witness a man marked by loss & regret in the wake of his filmmaking glory days. I dare you not to get choked up as he asks an audience (at the end of the film) to join him on a journey. As Hugo, Asa Butterfield's demeanor may come across as stiff/dull, but he's really a sad, lonely, inquisitive little boy who's just looking to belong somewhere & with someone. Contrary to some, I felt that Butterfield was emotionally present & quite effective. Smaller roles by Helen McCrory (very good as Melies' wife), Ray Winstone, & the rest (mentioned above) all add to the film’s whimsy. But it's Butterfield & Kingsley who add real depth & feeling.
Even critics who rave 'Hugo' mention the opening hour's too-languorous pace -- I felt it a little, too. But by the end of the 2 hour + film, it does not matter. The 1st hour takes it's time with a methodical set-up & slow-burn characterizations so that by the film's final 30-45 min., you may be either a blubbering mess, or grinning from ear to ear at the movie magic you're witnessing. I'm smiling even thinking about it right now. 'Hugo' is also one of the most incredible looking films you'll ever see (complete with Avatar-like 3D camera work, mind-blowing sets by Dante Ferretti, Sandy Powell's costumes, visual effects). And that last Act is crafted with so much warmth, passion, & love for movies that it reminds us why we love 'em in the first place.
To do this, Hugo must steal screws, cogs, gears, & other material from a shopkeeper who turns out to be the legendary director of silent films (from 1896-1914), Georges Melies (Sir Ben Kingsley). In Melies' goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), Hugo finds a friend & ally. But he also has a foe - the Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), who is always on the prowl for Hugo to send him to an orphanage. Before long, Hugo is caught up in a magical, mysterious adventure involving his late father, the automaton, & the buried secrets of the masterful Georges Melies.
Scorsese's depiction of Paris is - to quote Georges Melies' opinion of movies - the stuff of dreams. We mostly see it through Hugo's pale eyes as he gazes out windows of a clock tower. His presence inside of clocks & on catwalks allows him to observe the lives of others in the station: the inspector, a flower seller (Emily Mortimer) that the inspector is sweet on, a croissant shop owner (Frances de la Tour), her adorable dog, a newsstand owner (Richard Griffiths) who tries to get closer to the croissant shop owner, & all the train passengers). So by watching them, he dwells less on his own loneliness. Isabelle is his salvation; a true friend, & someone who yearns for the kind of adventure in life that she reads about in books from Mr. Labisse's (Christopher Lee) bookshop.
'Hugo' is a wonderful tale of machinery, magic, memories & dreams. Scorsese pays homage to the pioneers of movies & several of their old films (even integrating them into the station plot involving Hugo). i.e., Arrival of a Train at the Station. One of the most fascinating (and sad) facts about Melies is that he made over 530 films, and yet most were apparently melted down & turned into heels on shoes after WWI. As noted in the film, only 1 print of his productions exists - 1902's A Trip to the Moon. Due to the public's lack of interest in his films, as well as his own depression, Melies retired from the industry; hence, becoming a shop owner in the train station. In telling this story, Scorsese shows us - with INCREDIBLE recreations - Melies' inventiveness when making those films. And at the same time, Scorsese conveys a potent message that all films should be preserved, or they could disappear forever, like Melies' masterworks.
At first glance, Ben Kingsley only appears to be playing a bumbling old man-type. But by the end, we witness a man marked by loss & regret in the wake of his filmmaking glory days. I dare you not to get choked up as he asks an audience (at the end of the film) to join him on a journey. As Hugo, Asa Butterfield's demeanor may come across as stiff/dull, but he's really a sad, lonely, inquisitive little boy who's just looking to belong somewhere & with someone. Contrary to some, I felt that Butterfield was emotionally present & quite effective. Smaller roles by Helen McCrory (very good as Melies' wife), Ray Winstone, & the rest (mentioned above) all add to the film’s whimsy. But it's Butterfield & Kingsley who add real depth & feeling.
Even critics who rave 'Hugo' mention the opening hour's too-languorous pace -- I felt it a little, too. But by the end of the 2 hour + film, it does not matter. The 1st hour takes it's time with a methodical set-up & slow-burn characterizations so that by the film's final 30-45 min., you may be either a blubbering mess, or grinning from ear to ear at the movie magic you're witnessing. I'm smiling even thinking about it right now. 'Hugo' is also one of the most incredible looking films you'll ever see (complete with Avatar-like 3D camera work, mind-blowing sets by Dante Ferretti, Sandy Powell's costumes, visual effects). And that last Act is crafted with so much warmth, passion, & love for movies that it reminds us why we love 'em in the first place.