Dreamy and epic

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2012)

I'm really not a film's critic, but as a viewer and an old movies aficionado, all I can say is this one made me dream, which is exactly what a movie should do. On the other hand, this is maybe one of the more mixed reviews movie I've seen lately, from pseudo-intellectuals giving it a one star to people giving it 10 stars (I'm the latter, really, not because the movie deserves 10 stars in its essence but because the sum of it all is mind-blowing).
So, and instead of being a lame movie critic wannabe and flame the movie with pearls like "the actor portraying Hugo is naught but has sad eyes so he was picked" and some other of little note, I'll explain why a 10 is a (maybe fan-boyish but) fair rate:
-as far as 3d goes, this is THE ONE per se. Have you thought that the train arriving at a station movie is, though limited, PERFECT for this tech? Of course the train station itself where the movie develops is filled with precious details that make 3d shine too. Just watch some other movies in 3d (so en vogue these days, for worse than for better) and you'll probably see what I mean;
-the precious details I mentioned above, from Django Reinhardt to Christopher Lee (isn't it subtle that an old movies legend like Mr. Lee appears in a movie that talks about movie legends?), the Fantomas poster, the parisian boulevards reminding us of cogs and complications... I wasn't expecting so much from Martin Scorcese, which only proves the man is an erudite regarding cinema, let alone directing;
-I really lamented when I read so many wannabe critics label the movie for children, which is pathetic; this is a movie for everyone, from grandchildren to grandparents, from cinema student to movie critic, and that's the real gimmick in my opinion, as Martin Scorcese DEFINITELY payed attention to detail in order to make this a family friendly movie that could interest any other viewer, even if for CULTURE itself. I'll see it again tomorrow for the third time, in search for more detail.
The movie has a major flaw in my honest opinion: it was directed by an American instead of an European, and I guess that it loses some of its innocence and naiveté because of this alone, but on the other hand, it's so very well conceived (the European details, the atmosphere, the cultural history, etc...) that it's an insignificant detail.
Bravo.