Best Picture Bait

Rating: 6/10 (27 November 2011)

Martin Scorsese would like to preemptively thank the Academy for what will likely be at least four nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Ben Kingsley), and Best Supporting Actress (Helen McCrory). Given most of the movie serves as a celebration of movie-making as an art and movie directors as artists, they don't have much choice. Also it gives the Academy a chance to dole out a lifetime achievement award to Scorsese and Kingsley (although he has done a fair bit of schlock such as "Species"). Wrapped around the brief history of the earliest beginnings of movie-making and the self-reverential celebration of film-making is the plot from the book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret". In this story, an orphan subsists in the Paris train station by stealing and spends most of his time running from the station's dedicated constable. Somehow we are lead to believe this is preferable to be sent to the local orphanage. In an interesting casting move lunatic Sasha Baron Cohen plays the socially awkward policeman. Unlike most prior roles we don't see him naked but we are invited to laugh at a physical deformity resulting from an injury sustained in World War II so he does retain some of his trademark offense. While the casting decision mixed things up in what is a very staid and stately film, Cohen's maniacal vibe is largely wasted here and the part could have been played by any number of actors. Certainly a gorgeous film and a good use of 3-D; however, even here the 3-D medium feels gimmicky. Scorsese swings for the fences with the technology and it is its breadth and Merchant Ivory grand, sweeping feel that leads to some of the problems with the movie. The chief among these lies with the slow, stately pacing which is simply dull in a number of particularly slow spots. The intrusive soundtrack often offers some bouncing bit of orchestral shenanigans during these times when not much is happening on the screen further highlighting the yawn-worthy scenes. A second major problem comes from a jarring break between the main Hugo plot and the academic salute to movie-making which starts about three-fifths into the film. By the time the history lesson ends, the return to the Hugo's battle against Cohen almost could use a recap for those who had forgotten the earlier story. In short, not a great film but with too many of the elements needed to a Best Picture nom and probably win unless the Weinsteins come up with another historical period drama.