"Come away and dream with me"

Rating: 7/10 (29 February 2012)

HUGO is a strange film. It purports to be for children despite the fact that the screenplay written by Josh Logan based of the book 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret' by Brian Selznick has more references to words and people and events that children would not relate to on the same level as adults. It is a spectacle in the order of director Martin Scorsese with some of the most beautiful contraptions and mechanical wonders ever filmed. It seems in many ways to be an homage to the history of filmmaking in the manner in which the rather disjointed story is presented. Likely it comes across better in 3D than on the small flat screen. Not that the film is without special merits: there are many moments of impressive philosophical values, child/parent relationships, and a few comedic turns. The cast is solid if somewhat underused in this visual mechanical Parisian extravaganza spectacle, but it well worth watching as pure entertainment - and that is really OK!
The story is well known: Hugo (Asa Butterflied) is a lad whose inventor father (Jude Law) salvaged a broken automaton from a museum to fix it but dies before accomplishing that: his Uncle Claude (Ray Winstone), a drunk, is let in charge of the lad. Hugo is soon left alone in the bizarre train station in Paris where he tends to the multiple clocks, misses his beloved father, and fends for himself by shoplifting food and a few 'parts'. He is caught by a rather glum Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley) who runs a toy store while bemoaning his current lack of the thrill of living, despite the nurturing he receives from his wife (Helen McCrory) and his adopted daughter Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) who longs for adventures. In time Hugo and Isabelle become fast friends and discover the secrets held by Georges and it is through their efforts that joy and the dreams of the aged filmmaker are resurrected.
There are some sidebars - an injured WW I veteran who serves as Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) who dreams of the attention of the flower lady Lisette (Emily Mortimer), Madame Emile (Frances de la Tour) who sips coffee while tending her dog and attracting the attention of the hefty Monsieur Frick (Richard Griffiths), cinema devotee and historian Rene Tabard (Michael Stuhlbarg) who opens the doors to the mysteries that have collected during the story), and the odd Rene Tabard (Christopher Lee) who part is questionable.
The cast is strong - especially the children - and the special effects are very lovely to watch. The film takes us to the land of fantasy and it is worthwhile trip. Though the film seems to be impressed with itself and the revelation of the history of cinema, it offers many pleasures. Not sure it is a DVD to buy, though.
Grady Harp