Dreamlike

Rating: 9/10 (5 December 2011)

Beautiful sets and costumes, alongside stunning CG/3D technology transport us into the visually wondrous world of Hugo.
The story seemingly about a young boy who is living in a train station working the clock evolves into a story about a filmmaker. A bit children's adventure and a bit mystery the story achieves a childlike wonder as you watch the clues and story unfold to nice surprises, satisfying conclusions and resonations of commentary concerning the preservation of film itself. Hugo is about nostalgia, nostalgia for Paris in a romantic period, the nostalgia for seeing movies for the first time as a child, and nostalgia for old films themselves.
It was a nice, pleasant story that seems a bit contrived and forced forward at times. The transitions in the plot were not smooth and happened so randomly that it pragmatically seemed like a stretch; however Hugo should not be watched for its absolute realism. The story as the visuals itself are surrealistic, beautifully imaginative and semi-realistic therefore transporting us to dreamlike Paris in the early part of the 20th century. The imagery and story itself feel as though you are in a dream which makes the contrived plot acceptable.
A delightfully nostalgic calmness resonates as we sense the old fashion flavor in conjunction with the old ragtime music similar to what would be heard and seen when experiencing an old silent film from around the turn of the century (20th century).
The softening of the typical contemporary edgy themes created an old fashioned, relaxed, slower paced flavor yet the innovated CG and 3D make it more modern than almost any movie of it day. The 3D effects enhance the experience. You feel as though you are walking into highly populated hallways, up towers, you feel like you are in clocks peering out over the dazzling, wintry, romantic city of lights and you can not help but crack up as Sasha Baron Cohen's face comes closer and closer to your own as he once again scolds the protagonist. The assortment of extras dressed to the nines in outfits of the time, the small side stories and mini romances such as between the train's security guard and the flower girl created details that make Hugo a nice, encompassing, well crafted film.