Form and content unified brilliantly

Rating: 8/10 (5 April 2012)

Trying with restrain to maintain a neutral look upon this outstanding film it might be running a little longer that the subject matter invites to, however it is a brilliant piece of cinematographic artwork. This comes from the obvious unity between form and content. We get introduced to the first filmmaker who was fascinated by the magic and illusion the new medium made possible. This clearly shows in the surviving examples from his old movies. They are filled with the naive charm and childlike fascination we still appreciate today. The ingenious concept in HUGO is to present this story in the same way but now of course with all the modern magic and illusion that the CGE technique provides. We also note, that humans tend to appear to be presented in a stiffer and simplified form being put through the CGE process, but in this particular context it does not matter. This is a true fairy tale told in an impressive and convincing way. Hats off to the director and his fine staff of modern magicians as well as to the old master Meliés himself, who is well worth the tribute.