> REVIEW
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Hugo In 3D (2011)
Scorsese in another dimension…
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By Matt Arnoldi | December 2011
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
WRITER(s): John Logan/Brian Selznick (source)
Strange as it may seem, Hugo is Martin Scorsese’s first family film, the story of a wide-eyed, resourceful young orphan boy who finds himself living in the cavernous tunnels above a Parisian railway station where he maintains the station clock and gazes down on people more fortunate below.
Based on Brian Selznick’s inventive New York Times bestseller The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the screenplay is by John Logan while the film is co-produced by Scorsese with the aid of Hollywood notables like Johnny Depp.
Hugo has much to recommend, not least the fact that it comes in glorious 3D. From the first exhilarating moments as you watch Hugo racing through the secret passageways of the station, you know this is going to be a visual ride unlike any other.
The film is essentially two stories linked by a sense of nostalgia for the past and a love of cinema. Hugo (Asa Butterfield) has lost his father in a sudden blaze and has to steal to survive. He has an interest in the study of clocks and all things mechanical and has been left with a fascinating automaton which keeps him company at night. If he can get it to work, he believes it will reveal a secret message his father has left him.
Hugo gains the assistance of a young girl Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moritz) but is also hindered by her embittered father Georges Meiles (Sir Ben Kingsley) who runs a mechanical toy shop at the station and knows that Hugo has been stealing small toy parts from his store.
The boy must also evade the clutches of fastidious station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his feisty lolloping dog companion, for if caught, Hugo will be sent to the orphanage. Luckily for him, the shy Inspector is not quite as effective at his job as he might think he is.
Completing an impressive cast, are Emily Mortimer (flower seller), Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour (lovable eccentrics), Ray Winstone (playing Uncle Claude), Christopher Lee (Monsieur Labisse) and Jude Law (Hugo’s father in flashbacks).
In the second half of the film, Hugo’s story takes a backseat as former filmmaker Georges’ illustrious past comes to the fore. Melies was a performer and magician whose life was transformed by the early pioneers of cinema and we get to see much of his first pragmatic efforts before the film returns to Hugo’s plight.
It can be argued Hugo is a cross-between Steven Spielberg’s AI in its capture of a young boy’s dependence on an artificial character, Guillermo del Toro’s debut Cronos, in the film’s love of all things mechanical and Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso in its capture of a young boy experiencing the wonders of early cinema.
At times, the film’s meandering style does become a hindrance. Just as you start to wonder where it’s all heading, Scorsese changes tack halfway through.
Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moritz carry the film as the youngsters playing sleuths on a voyage of discovery. Kingsley has a role of transformation as Georges and Sacha Baron Cohen steals the film’s funniest lines as the narrative becomes increasingly reliant on his character to provide the laughter when needed. Also deserving of a mention is the automaton itself, a quite bewitching robot in Meccano which would be loved and adored by adults and children alike.
With its whimsical charm and visually irresistible fervour this is a solid first foray into 3D territory for Scorsese. Hugo performs enough agile heroics to tug at your heartstrings, with one particular scene giving Marty’s film a moment of real emotion and resonance. That, coupled with the truly wonderful visuals and Scorsese’s illustration of where his own passions for film originated, make Hugo one of the year’s most memorable films.
Script…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Logan’s script, closely overseen by Scorsese, ensures the essence of Selznick’s
book is translated faithfully to the screen. 4
Direction………………………………………………………………………………………..
Scorsese’s direction is full of energy using all kinds of ways to show the 3D
visuals to glittering effect, whilst remembering to take care to give rounded
views of all the various characters. 4
Verdict…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Scorsese’s first attempt to create a family film delivers magical, tick-tocking,
excellent CGI effects, a homage to the origins of cinema and a story that will tug
at the heartstrings. 4
