"Hugo"
Words that come to mind when one thinks of the films from Martin Scorsese: violent, brutal, gangster, intense. It is true that these terms do describe some of his pictures. However Scorsese's newest feature, Hugo is nothing like anything he has ever done before. The legendary filmmaker takes a walk on the wild side with his first family film that also happens to be his first attempt in 3D as well. For fans of Scorsese's work may adhere to skepticism, rest assured Hugo is another solid effort from the director.
Newcomer Asa Butterfield plays the title role. Hugo Cabret is an orphan living in the mechanical clockworks behind a Paris train station during the 1930's. When a fire takes Hugo's father (Jude Law) away, he is left to fend for himself all alone in the world, no thanks to his alcoholic Uncle Claude (Ray Winstone.) Before Uncle Claude leaves town he teaches his nephew how to wind all the clocks throughout the station. This keeps Hugo immensely busy when he's not pinching a pastry or pocketing particular pieces of machinery to finish a discarded automaton that he and his father had been working on. The foundling's thievery attracts some unwanted attention from the station master (Sacha Baron Cohen) and a very grouchy George Méliès (Ben Kingsly) who owns a shop in the station. Beneath Méliès' irritable exterior lies his secretive past that Hugo and Méliès' Goddaughter Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz) must uncover which also might be the key to getting the mysterious automaton up and running again.
At slightly over two hours this is a pretty long family film so use discretion if you want to bring the wee ones along for this ride. Hugo's story takes some time to get going, which is fine if you're one of the adults in the crowd. The film has a surprising amount of depth and emotion that gradually makes you fall in love with the characters. The character of Hugo embodies the reoccurring theme Scorsese has in every picture of his, acceptance. This is a boy who lost the one person he held dear. Who does he belong to now? Where does he fit into society? Butterfield brings a great deal of innocence to the role and easy gains our sympathies. He holds his ground acting alongside Kingsly and Law, and even Christopher Lee. This kid has a bright future ahead of him.
Scorsese has made it well known over the years that he loves the cinema. This film showcases his abundant passion for the craft of filmmaking by taking us on a mini history lesson on the invention of the movie camera. The images the device is able to capture, the stories it is able to tell, and the way films make us feel every time we sit in a darkened theater are all embedded throughout Hugo. He is able to recreate some of the oldest of old school filmmaking techniques dating back to the earliest days of cinema thanks to his crew of top notch regulars. Scorsese and his team should be commended for this beautiful adoration to the art of filmmaking.
Over the past ten years or so, Scorsese has really expanded his repertoire by giving us an incredibly interesting array of films. He is one of those directors that just keep getting better with age. Every frame of his has such passion and craft that is lacking from so many other modern pieces of cinema. It's a joy to watch him tackle another genre seemingly with ease. Hugo is the type of film that should appeal to the masses and for good reason. Whether you’re young or old, Hugo can be appreciated on a number of levels. This is a film from a director who has remained at the top of his game for quite some time now and shows no signs of weakness. Hugo is a reminder of why we love movies. Bravo Mr. Scorsese!
No comments:
Post a Comment