At one point, Hugo (Asa Butterfield) takes his new friend Isabelle (Chloe Moretz) to her first movie, and she turns to him and says, “Thank you for the movie. It was a gift.’’ Hugo is Martin Scorsese’s gift to cinephiles in that he lovingly recreates many of the very first films ever shown but gives them a 3D makeover. This is one instance where the latest technology really does add to the overall package of a film. Hugo is a film for dreamers, but more about that after the jump!
Of course, Hugo and Isabelle do discover the secret of this machine, which leads them to Papa George’s past and offers beautiful glimpses into the early days of filmmaking, including a wonderful 3D adaption of Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat by the Lumiere brothers in which the first film’s audience shrieked at the sight of a train coming straight at them. While the loving details to films past and wonderful imagery of dreams and moving pictures is awesome for a devout film buff, I wonder if children would find Hugo as beautiful and moving as I did.
That being said, Hugo is one of the best uses of 3D in recent years (notwithstanding the current Harold and Kumar Christmas movie, of course). It is beautifully shot and directed, with gorgeous cinematography. You can practically feel the train’s steam in your face, and Paris has never looked so magical. Plus, Scorsese angles for kiddos' attention with Baron Cohen’s long nose protruding out of the screen just as far as his trusty canine friend’s snout. Hugo is a feast for the eyes.
Hugo is also incredibly touching with rich characters, even small ones played wonderfully by Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer, Richard Griffiths, and Helen McCrory. You’ll be hard-pressed to not be charmed by Hugo and his cohorts, especially the lovely Moretz.
Hugo is a loving homage to the original filmmakers and is a charming, delightful film that taps into your dreamer side, but I’m not sure all the kiddies in the audience will be as dazzled and charmed as the grownups.
--Darcie Duttweiler