A refreshing, wondrous detour for the great Scorsese!

Rating: 8/10 (23 November 2011)

-- Ramascreen.com --
HUGO is a refreshing, wondrous detour for Scorsese. It's not one of my top favorite Scorsese films of all time but it works as a family movie. I can imagine the great director just having fun with this material and the 3D aspects, he's like a kid in a candy store, not to mention it gives him the chance to pay homage to silent films and his love of cinema in general. HUGO is for those of us who find escape in the world of movies
I've never read the best seller that became the basis for this movie but when I heard that it has a bit to do with an orphan and the story is somewhat of a period piece, I thought we were in for another version of Oliver Twist-type story. And perhaps certain elements of HUGO would give some people that impression. HUGO's set design, the visual, the 3D, the costume, the cinematography, everything about the environment is both marvelous and captivating. A while back I thought this kind of film should be better handled by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director who brought us 2001′s Amelie, but Scorsese proves that he too can deliver something that wildly imaginative and magical. One of the most visually arresting films in recent years. Some of the best scenes I enjoy in HUGO are the ones that deal with the silent films. To watch Kingsley and McCrory re-enact some of those films is a delight.
The first half of the story loses my interest, partially because I feel that the father-son relationship is a bit rushed and I find the interaction between Hugo (Asa Butterfield) and Isabelle (Chloe Moretz) not engaging enough but I warm up to it after the heart-shaped key comes into play, my curiosity kicks in high gear from that point on. Chloe Moretz's accent goes on and off but her character is so friendly and supportive, you quickly dismiss her tough attempt on the accent. The design they have for the automoton, the mechanic figure that can write, is nothing short of fascinating. I wonder if I could put that on my Christmas wish list this year, it'd be cool to own one.
I think it's appropriate to have the great chameleon actor Ben Kingsley portray who many consider to be one of the fathers of early cinema, Georges Méliès. As Méliès, Kingsley makes you see that the spark in his eyes and the excitement in his heart, his belief in dreams have long gone. Hugo's little sad story leads to a discovery of a grand story that opens the door to a celebrated past.
Nothing is left hanging in this film, every character has a purpose and each purpose connects with one another. Even the ruthless station inspector, well played by Sacha Baron Cohen, who hunts down orphans as part of his job, has depth and he, of all people, should understand what Hugo is going through because he's a grown result of the resentment over the system that he wants to throw Hugo into. I think the 3 big key characters here are Hugo Cabret, Méliès and the Station inspector and they collide perfectly in this cinematic enchantment straight from the heart of Martin Scorsese.
-- Ramascreen.com --