I Feel Like I Watched the Emperor's New Film....

Rating: 3/10 (18 December 2012)

Four Academy Awards? Or was that five? And a nomination for Best Director? Did I watch the same film the critics watched? The "Hugo" which I saw had 1) bad acting 2) inappropriate music 3) plot holes big enough to drive a semi through.
Yes, the cinematography was lovely. The editing was competent. The lighting/color/ costumes created a steam punk paradise. However, the lead actor was so bad that I found myself cheering on the train. Most of the male actors (with the exception of Christopher Lee and Jude Law) appeared to have been coached by someone with Asperger's. What on earth was Ray Winstone doing in this movie? For that matter, what kind of drug did they feed Ben Kingsley? Here is a suggestion for those who are thinking about watching "Hugo." Watch "Sexy Beast" instead.
About halfway through the movie I considered turning down the volume and watching it as a silent film. That is how bad the Howard Shore score was. No, the music itself was not bad. It was the way the music was used to create dramatic tension thick enough to choke a bull moose--when the action on the screen called for something light, whimsical, comedic. Note to the director. If you are going to use solemn, ominous, LOUD music, you need to be prepared to deliver a punch line that is solemn and ominous.
And then there is the Joseph Campbell problem. As in if the screenwriters had read their Joseph Campbell, they would have done a better job of creating an epic fantasy, which is what I think this wanted to be (based upon the Howard Shore score). Basically, this story is the Fisher King---except Kingsley's motivation is all wrong. (Here comes the spoiler). The Fisher King becomes ill, because his kingdom is ill. Kingsley throws away his art and career and every shred of humanity he possesses---because the critics no longer like his work???? Where was the extended footage of the horrors of WWI---mustard gas and trench warfare? Where was the son killed in battle? THAT is Fisher King material. I guess Scorsese did not want to scare the kids. Except, if he did not want to scare them, why the scary soundtrack? Make up your mind, please.
By film's end, I found myself indulging in a fantasy of my own. What would the movie have been like if someone who actually knows how to do dark children's fantasy, like Tim Burton had directed it? Three stars for being absolutely lovely to watch. Now I am going to go watch "Sexy Beast" so I can remind myself what good acting is.