My night with Hugo

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2011)

I viewed Martin Scorsese's latest film in 3D at a light night showing on a mildly precipitating night. On the surface this movie seems to be about a boy longing for the memory of his late father. However, deeper in we see that it is about the power and magic of movies, which we come to see to move us. Furthermore this movie has a soul, and that soul shows us a yearning for life, and all of its thrill, bewilderment, and wonder.
This was marketed as a family movie, but at 126 minutes and with each scene set so grandly and intricately, it may be a bit too grand for very young audiences. For anyone in the double digits though there is much joy to be found here. Every scene is layered with detail and you can tell that Scorsese put great effort into caring for each and every detail that you experience. From the "splendiferous" grand scale of detail to the "splendorous" visuals this movie delivers on an awe-inspiring family adventure.
"Hugo" stars two precocious young children, Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz, whom both deliver some of the finest work from child actors. Ben Kingsley delivers as per usual and Sacha Baron Cohen has a breakout performance as a serious actor here as the Station Inspector. This movie also offers some positive messages that are seemingly being lost these days, acknowledging to children the joy of reading and dreams and how movies can be an enrichment of that. Another great thing about this movie is it shows us a story, which seems to only be able to be told best in a movie.
In a movie market that is being inundated with special effects and 3D, it feels very noble for Scorsese to pay homage to the very man who is known as the creator of special effects, Georges Melies , in this movie. While the movie can seem almost too much like a homage sometimes, it still maintains its focus for the most part and delivers a thrilling, inspired, and positive adventure. Also I know 3D is a big deal right, but while I am glad I witnessed this in 3D I don't think I would want to revisit it that way in the future. When I purchase this on Blu-Ray I definitely will be watching it on a standard television and not 3D. Mentioning this I must state even still, this was my best experience with 3D yet. If one of the greatest directors alive can't convince me it is a necessity I doubt I will be ever truly a fan of it. By the end of the movie the glasses made my eyes hurt a bit. Despite those couple of flaws they were nothing on the amazement and enjoyment I got from this movie and it made my rainy night quite romantic. All I know is that after watching this movie, all the way to walking to my doorstep and wiping my shoes off on my doormat from the muddy puddles just after the night's noon, life felt magical and worth enjoying. 9.6/10