Visually Striking

Rating: 8/10 (2 June 2018)

'Hugo' may be unnecessarily long, but it is ultimately redeemed by it's visually striking cinematography and great acting. On the backdrop of 1930's Paris, Hugo contains a beautiful colour palette of orange and blue, combined with delightful directing by Martin Scorsese, Hugo is a visual delight that can be enjoyed by everyone. It's winning Academy Awards are well deserved, particularly for Best Achievement in Cinematography. Additionally, it's wonderful casting also contributes to the many greats of this film. Asa Butterfield plays the blue-eyed, determined young character of Hugo perfectly, and demonstrates how he is one of the best child actors of this decade. Chloë Grace Moretz and Ben Kingsley are also brilliant in their roles and really make this film shine. Despite this film having all the right elements to be a masterpiece, it falls short in it's pacing. With a running time of just over two hours, this film can tend to drag on quite bit with unnecessary scenes that are dragged on. Considering this film is advertised as a family film it is bound to bore children with a short attention span, which is basically every child. Despite this, the storyline is still a delightful homage to the origins of film and will definitely appeal to film lovers. This film can be thoroughly enjoyed by those who can overlook it's drawn out plot line and appreciate it's visual beauty and wonderful cast.