Review 88: Hugo
Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, in 1931 Hugo (Asa Butterfield) is wily and resourceful boy who lives alone in a Paris railway station known as Gare Montparnasse taking care of the clocks after his father (Jude Law) died in a fire. Now Hugo spends his days stealing food and trying to work a automaton. When he makes friends with an old toy store owner, Papa Georges (Ben Kingsley) and his goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) it leads to a quest to unlock a secret left to him by his father will transform Hugo and all those around him, and reveal a safe and loving place he can call home.
The plot is too beautiful to describe, it not only tells us a story about a great filmmaker it's a story about a boy-an adventurous and hopeful boy who just wants to find a home and find out the secret of what his father left him.
At its core, Hugo is a film about Cinema. Not only examining the history of film but also paying homage to classic cinema.
it's got a lot to say about movies.
Ultimately while society may change, but films never will and will last forever and they are where dreams can be made and brought to life.
Hugo is also arguable Scorsese's most personal film, he grew up in Italy and an illness kept him inside in doors for much of his childhood just Hugo spends much of his time inside the clocks of that station and just as Scorsese became a film student who helped rescue some forgotten filmmakers careers, Hugo and friends restore a treasure trove of silent movies and bring an old mans heart back to life.
Martin Scorsese's directing is sensitive, the cinematography is gorgeous and captures the beauty and splendor of Paris in the 1930's, the visuals are are top notch, the production design is breathtaking and beautifully captures the culture and flare and style of 1930's Paris, the costume design is mejestic, the make up is rich, the score by Howard Shore is beautiful, there are some great scenes of intensity and beauty.
The acting was sensational, Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz are both terrific in this film and bring alive the wide-eyed innocence and childlike wonderment that's required to play
Ben Kingsley delivers a superbly moving performace as Papa Georges and bought a great deal of depth to the character, in his very first scene with Hugo I could see that he wasn't a bad man but a sad one.
Helen McCrory is beautiful as Jeanne, Georges' wife Jeanne,
Sacha Baron Cohen shows us he can be dangerous as well as funny as Gustave the railway inspector who tries to catch Hugo which throughout the film is played up as something of a running gag akin to the silent film era.
Just a snooty guy doing his job.
Emily Mortimer is fantastic as Lisett, the flower shop owner who Gustave falls in love with
Christopher Lee is fabulous as Monsieur Labisse, the book shop owner who regulary lends Isabelle books.
Hugo is not your average family film, its a film about and could teach children allot about films and is a tribute to anyone who loves films. It may be Scorsese's most personal film but it's also very personal to me, I have loved movies for as long as I can remember and if you have as much love for films as I have you should check out this film, you'll love it, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic
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