Hugo Boss

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2012)

Why the awful headline? Because it is surely impossible to come up with a punnier title that still describes how good this film was, that's why.
Through the eyes of a child, it's the story of a couple of kids embarking on an adventure to solve a mystery that might just bring some happiness back into a sad old man's life. For the film buffs and adults, or rather, bigger kids among us, Martin Scorsese's Hugo is a visual feast of cinematic iconography; a Tarantino-esque shrine to the films of the past that shaped the director's lifetime of inspiration. It should be enough that one of the world's greatest living filmmakers has taken to using the playbook of the director most respected among us younger cinephiles, but there is much more than simply a ton of film references that denote the quality of 'Marty's love letter to cinema', as so many have taken to calling it.
Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is an orphan living inside of a Paris train station. He gets by on keeping the station's clocks running and stealing whatever he can get his hands on, while avoiding the watchful eye of the station inspector (Sasha Baron Cohen), who would love nothing more than to throw Hugo back in the orphanage. Hugo is also the thorn in the side of an elderly toyshop owner (Ben Kingsley). When the old man catches Hugo red-handed and forces him to work off the items he stole, the boy meets Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz) and together they discover the connection between Hugo's automaton (left to him by his late father) and cranky old Papa Georges.
As if to address the most obvious point first, the film looks incredible. The 3D, which has typically been a letdown since its admittedly impressive resurrection by James Cameron, compliments the extravagant set and adds a kind of visual sharpness and depth to expansive scenes not yet mastered by most filmmakers. Expect Hugo to feature prominently in the 'art direction' branches at most upcoming awards shows, because its impressive combination of costume design, set construction and cinematography will make it hard to beat.
The film draws a lot of heart from a colourful cast of secondary characters who fill their role the way those of Rear Window or Amelie did before them. While very few of them are at all central to the film, each one makes brief interjections into the story at certain points just to show what's happening in their day at the station. The most endearing of these is the pretty florist who catches the eye of the bashful inspector. Where this burgeoning relationship allows Cohen to ham it up with some comedy of his own, it also acts as yet another small detail that supports Hugo's well-rounded narrative, leaving the viewer richer for the experience.
Because it is aimed at children as well as adults, the script can sound a little trite to matured ears. This comes from the need to explain everything in clear terms, rather than simply implying it, so that absolutely everyone can follow where the story is heading. It is also because of this that the first third of the movie moves somewhat too slowly for personal liking in its attempt to lay a solid foundation before delving into the actual story.
With this film, Scorsese has crafted the sheer definition of 'all-ages entertainment.' Certainly, the film's ability to keep my fellow patrons (three patience- starved loudmouths all aged ten or below) enthralled by the events on screen shows that something is being done right. But more than that, the movie delivers varying messages depending on the individual responding to them. It teaches young viewers the value of appreciating those who love us, as well as the importance of knowing what came before and to keep expanding our horizons, never faltering in our thirst for knowledge.
The film preaches this kind of ambition and selflessness to the older target market too, as well as encouraging one to live life so as to not only have fun from start to finish, but leave an enviable legacy along the way. These themes are particularly powerful during the third act when, after discovering the true identity of Papa Georges, the audience is treated to a concise, albeit misty-eyed, history of film itself- a set piece so touching we might as well be sitting next to Toto as he watches the lost archives at the end of Cinema Paradiso.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review.*