For The Love of Movies

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2012)

Hugo is known as Martin Scorsese's first film that is suitable for all ages. In the trailers and movie posters, some may think it's just another Family/Adventure film. But it's more than that. Hugo is Scorsese's love letter to movies. Bringing back the classic style and showing why movies are magnificently wonderful. It's an extraordinary Scorsese film. The performances are charming and there are plenty of sweetness in them. Everything else is spectacular. Hugo is a reminder why we watch and love movies.
But Hugo is not entirely about movies. The main story is about an orphan boy named Hugo Cabret who manages the train station's clocks and steals machine parts to fix his father's automaton. The film is introduced in a classic style. An exposition to the characters with little dialogue. While the plot goes, there's the life of Georges Méliès. Both stories of Hugo and Méliès are told together. But the first half is about Hugo. Last half is about Méliès. Both in the middle. Their stories are told in a strange clever way. But it has plenty of emotions and wonder.
Asa Butterfield is good as Hugo. His performance is better in the emotional moments. Chloë Moretz always gives a lot of personality and soul to her roles. Her and Butterfield are simply charming. But the best goes to Ben Kingsley. He's always been a great actor. He's just wonderful as Georges Méliès. All the credit definitely goes to Martin Scorsese. He expresses his love to cinema movies and shows its history. It often explores its eye-candy spectacles. There are fun silent comedy and romance from the minor characters.
It's all recapturing the old style of movies even without making it black and white or using old fashion score. 3D is usually used for large scale adventure films or action movies but Hugo used it to show its spectacular visuals and it works great. The production design is splendid. Same goes to the music score. Everything you see in this film is just gorgeous.
Hugo is for the people who love movies. But the center story is really about a kid who can fix stuff and wanted to be a part of this world. They just suddenly talked about movies in the second act and ends with Méliès' story. It's not a bad thing. There are plenty of love and joy here in Hugo. And it makes a wonderful Family Film.