Meandering but charming family film

Rating: Null/10 (15 December 2013)

With Scorsese as director and it being a big adoption of 3D by a "proper" director, this film made quite a stir when it came out and I always meant to watch it but somehow never did get to it. I finally did this weekend, although of course watched it in 2D and, to be honest, didn't see that I was missing too much by doing so. The film seems to have been a personal one for Scorsese as I remember him talking about wanting to make something that his grandchildren could enjoy while they were still children and in addition to this it is about a love of cinema, a love of wonder and making something that has this effect.
Hugo doesn't quite produce the emotions that we see drawn from the characters within the film, but it is still a warm and charming film. The plot has the theme of making things work and things having a purpose and this is well enough laid out to have an impact and work within the narrative. The pace is sometimes a little bit too slow and the film could have been a bit shorter and tighter with a tad more ruthlessness with the editing, because it does occasionally feel like it is meandering a bit as opposed to getting where it needs to go. I did not mind this so much as I was enjoying the tone of it, but it was still an issue. Given the subject matter, I really appreciated that it never gave way to easy sentiment nor got soapy – it was honest in this way and I think a better film for it.
The direction is good in the shots and movement of the camera, while the film feels like it has real passion and excitement for what it is doing, which comes over. Performances are engaging. Butterfield is really good in the title role and he works well with Kingsley in a delicate performance. Moretz was solid but left the detail to these two leads. Cohen provides some comic relief and I liked his wandering accent, while Winstone, Lee, de la Tour (!), Griffiths, Law, Eldon and others are all there to provide good small turns and add presence.
Generally Hugo is a bit too slow and long for its own good but even with this it has a warm, consistent heart which makes for a charming film with good performances. It may not fill you with awe and wonder as the characters in the film are, but it is still a charming and cheering family film without a mean bone or a sentimental bone in its body.