Artistry and craftsmanship

Rating: 9/10 (20 April 2012)

"Hugo" consists of three movies really. The first movie is the story of the orphan Hugo, his automaton and his mechanical secret world behind the clock. The second movie is the story of a Parisian train station ca. 1930, and its immediate environs, an impossibly charming and romantic place richly filled amusing Parisian characters and human interaction. The third movie is the story of Georges Méliès, apparently all true.
Stripped to its bare essentials, the movie's theme is artistry and craftsmanship: the love of clockwork, the love of romantic places and the love of film. Each of these movies and themes has its own characters, plot and pace, but they are interwoven into a single movie. The movie is so rich I'm sure I missed much of it in my single viewing.
"Hugo" is the kind of movie that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. It's not a realistic adult world. There are no politics, no violence, no sex. There is a touch of slapstick, two dimensional characterisation. You'll enjoy this film more if you're at least a little in touch with your inner child. Hugo is a brave and precocious hero, having great adventures in a precarious world. Asa Butterfield played the role beautifully.
But nor is it completely a children's movie. We come out of it with a much better understanding of early film-making. And the visual imagery is at times jaw-droppingly beautiful. And of course it makes you fall in love with Paris all over again, even if Scorsese's Paris is one of the imagination.
This is an unusual and visually beautiful movie, something I wasn't expecting. It's more of an experience than a movie. Go see it. Go.