SusannahHUGO
January 23rd 2012 04:50
Hugo (2011)
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer.
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
I must admit I was surprised to learn that Martin Scorsese was directing a film for children. But I quickly realised that it was actually a perfect fit, as Hugo is Scorsese’s love letter to the birth of cinema. Based on the award winning novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, Hugo is set mainly in the Gare Montparnase train station in 1930s Paris. Orphaned after his father (Jude Law) dies, and then taken in by his uncle who works in the train station, Hugo (Asa Butterfield) lives within it walls, tending to the maintenance of the many clocks of the train station each day. He does this alone as his uncle has abandoned him. His only companion is an automaton, a clock-work man, which, once repaired, will write what Hugo believes will be a message for his father. Hugo is determined to get it fixed as it was the last thing his father, a clockmaker, was working on before he died.
But Hugo does not have all the parts he needs to get the automaton working. To this end he has been stealing wind-up toys from the toy booth at the train station. One day he is caught by the toy-booth owner, Georges Melies (Ben Kingsley), who takes his notebook with drawings of the automaton in it, and threatens to report him to the very vigilant Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) if he does it again. When Melies threatens to burn the notebook, Hugo befriends Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), Melies’ ward, and begs her to stop him from burning it. They strike up a friendship, and Hugo learns that Melies forbids Isabelle to see films.
Having read The Invention of Hugo Cabret I can say that Scorsese has captured the spirit of the book. Selznick’s work is unusual in that his novel is actually only one third text. The rest of the story is told visually by Selznick’s illustrations. The perfect novel to adapt for such a visual storyteller as Scorsese and Hugo is a masterpiece of visual storytelling: evident from the brilliant opening shot of the clockwork turning into the streets of Paris, which then becomes a zoom through the streets of Paris, through the train station, right up to the face of a clock out of which peeks Hugo’s eye. Hugo is Scorsese’s first film in 3D, and boy has he mastered it; so much so that he puts other 3D filmmakers to shame. Hugo is the best use of 3D cinema that you will see. Unlike a lot of filmmakers who just have things fly at the camera, Scorsese has realised the power of 3D to increase the depth of field of the image. Not only does the picture reach out to the audience, but at the same time things will be happening in the background that will make the image stretch on forever, giving amazing depth and scope to the locations, such as corridors in the train station and Hugo climbing the tower inside the clock. He even uses it for comical effect, such as when Sacha Baron Cohen’s Station Inspector looms into a close up declaring a character to be offended by another character’s “visage” while filling the screen with his frightful, heavy-browed expression. Scorsese is so mindful of the use of 3D that he even makes sure that things that are not 3D in real life are still 2D within the 3D footage, such as the sketches and drawings by the automaton and by Melies.
Scorsese breaks from his usual mould in other ways too by having strong comical, almost farcical, aspects, and by working with children as leads. Both aspects work brilliantly well. As the over-zealous Station Inspector, Cohen is both the antagonist and the comic relief. Obsessed with ridding the train station of all thieving, orphaned children, he has rung up the police officer to collect children to send to the orphanage so many times that they have become friends over the phone, and there is a running gag about the paternity of the policeman’s child. The Inspector is hindered by a comical leg brace, and constantly accompanied by his dog. Scorsese allows Cohen to make much of the encumbrance of the leg brace, which jams, locking his knee in place at inappropriate times, and preventing him from running, including one early sequence where he chooses to collide, not with an enormous fancy cake, but with a band, entangling himself in a cello. A lot is made of the Inspector’s close relationship with his dog, and many shots also link them visually, often drawing a visual comparison between the long face of the dog, and Cohen’s long face. But the Inspector is not just there for laughs; his injury is revealed to be caused by World War One, and he has tentative feelings for the florist (Emily Mortimer) in the station, to whom he struggles to strike up the courage to speak.
Scorsese coaxes excellent performances from his two leads, Moretz and Butterfiled, who hold their own against older, more experienced co-stars. The film is largely dominated by them and their burgeoning friendship. Moretz is an appealing presence, with a cheeky smile, whose character has a running gag about using big words. As Hugo, Butterfield really anchors the film, providing the heart and soul of the story with his sensitive performance, conveying his journey from a lonely, heart-broken boy, to someone who finds a place for himself in the world. His large, emotive eyes draw you in and tug on your heart strings, and physically he is reminiscent of Elijah Wood as a child actor.
It is no surprise that Georges Melies (Ben Kinglsey) turns out to be the filmmaker Melies who made the now legendary A Trip to the Moon, Or Voyage to the Moon, in 1902. The real Melies did end up working as a toy maker after World War One ended his film career. Considered the “father of special effects” the real Melies was a pioneer of fantasy films, making over 500 in his career. This is where Scorsese’s homage to cinema comes in. Together Hugo and Isabelle discover that her godfather is actually a filmmaker. So heartbroken was he over his filmmaking coming to an end that he denies his cinema history, until the children ensure he gets the recognition he deserves. And so does Scorsese, lovingly recreating scenes from Melies’ early fantasy short films, and imagining him as actor, writer and director in flashbacks. Much is also made throughout the film of the power of cinema to bring dreams to life and to make them reality. Scorsese also recreates the famous screening of the Lumiere brothers first film, that of the train entering the station, where the audience fled from their seats because they were afraid they were going to get hit! Hugo is astonished when Isabelle tells him she has never seen a film, and insists on sneaking her into a cinema to watch one. Hugo also recounts how his father had amazing memories of seeing A Trip to the Moon at the cinema for the first time. They also meet a film professor, Rene Tabard, whose love of film was born from seeing Melies’ films as a child.
Scorsese has created a wonderful, moving family film that celebrates the power of people to help and to heal. This is marred perfectly with a celebration of the birth of cinema and its ability to bring dreams to life. It is also one of the best book adaptations I have ever seen, while also being one of the most striking visual films, not to mention the best ever use of 3D, and all in service to the story. Scorsese has created a film of the book which ought to make the author, Brian Selznick, very proud. You will regret it if you don’t see Hugo at the movies.
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Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer.
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
I must admit I was surprised to learn that Martin Scorsese was directing a film for children. But I quickly realised that it was actually a perfect fit, as Hugo is Scorsese’s love letter to the birth of cinema. Based on the award winning novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, Hugo is set mainly in the Gare Montparnase train station in 1930s Paris. Orphaned after his father (Jude Law) dies, and then taken in by his uncle who works in the train station, Hugo (Asa Butterfield) lives within it walls, tending to the maintenance of the many clocks of the train station each day. He does this alone as his uncle has abandoned him. His only companion is an automaton, a clock-work man, which, once repaired, will write what Hugo believes will be a message for his father. Hugo is determined to get it fixed as it was the last thing his father, a clockmaker, was working on before he died.
Hugo poster
A steampunker's dream
But Hugo does not have all the parts he needs to get the automaton working. To this end he has been stealing wind-up toys from the toy booth at the train station. One day he is caught by the toy-booth owner, Georges Melies (Ben Kingsley), who takes his notebook with drawings of the automaton in it, and threatens to report him to the very vigilant Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) if he does it again. When Melies threatens to burn the notebook, Hugo befriends Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), Melies’ ward, and begs her to stop him from burning it. They strike up a friendship, and Hugo learns that Melies forbids Isabelle to see films.
Hugo and Isabelle with the automaton
Having read The Invention of Hugo Cabret I can say that Scorsese has captured the spirit of the book. Selznick’s work is unusual in that his novel is actually only one third text. The rest of the story is told visually by Selznick’s illustrations. The perfect novel to adapt for such a visual storyteller as Scorsese and Hugo is a masterpiece of visual storytelling: evident from the brilliant opening shot of the clockwork turning into the streets of Paris, which then becomes a zoom through the streets of Paris, through the train station, right up to the face of a clock out of which peeks Hugo’s eye. Hugo is Scorsese’s first film in 3D, and boy has he mastered it; so much so that he puts other 3D filmmakers to shame. Hugo is the best use of 3D cinema that you will see. Unlike a lot of filmmakers who just have things fly at the camera, Scorsese has realised the power of 3D to increase the depth of field of the image. Not only does the picture reach out to the audience, but at the same time things will be happening in the background that will make the image stretch on forever, giving amazing depth and scope to the locations, such as corridors in the train station and Hugo climbing the tower inside the clock. He even uses it for comical effect, such as when Sacha Baron Cohen’s Station Inspector looms into a close up declaring a character to be offended by another character’s “visage” while filling the screen with his frightful, heavy-browed expression. Scorsese is so mindful of the use of 3D that he even makes sure that things that are not 3D in real life are still 2D within the 3D footage, such as the sketches and drawings by the automaton and by Melies.
Hugo in the film library
Scorsese breaks from his usual mould in other ways too by having strong comical, almost farcical, aspects, and by working with children as leads. Both aspects work brilliantly well. As the over-zealous Station Inspector, Cohen is both the antagonist and the comic relief. Obsessed with ridding the train station of all thieving, orphaned children, he has rung up the police officer to collect children to send to the orphanage so many times that they have become friends over the phone, and there is a running gag about the paternity of the policeman’s child. The Inspector is hindered by a comical leg brace, and constantly accompanied by his dog. Scorsese allows Cohen to make much of the encumbrance of the leg brace, which jams, locking his knee in place at inappropriate times, and preventing him from running, including one early sequence where he chooses to collide, not with an enormous fancy cake, but with a band, entangling himself in a cello. A lot is made of the Inspector’s close relationship with his dog, and many shots also link them visually, often drawing a visual comparison between the long face of the dog, and Cohen’s long face. But the Inspector is not just there for laughs; his injury is revealed to be caused by World War One, and he has tentative feelings for the florist (Emily Mortimer) in the station, to whom he struggles to strike up the courage to speak.
Sacha Baron Cohen as the Station Inspector
Scorsese coaxes excellent performances from his two leads, Moretz and Butterfiled, who hold their own against older, more experienced co-stars. The film is largely dominated by them and their burgeoning friendship. Moretz is an appealing presence, with a cheeky smile, whose character has a running gag about using big words. As Hugo, Butterfield really anchors the film, providing the heart and soul of the story with his sensitive performance, conveying his journey from a lonely, heart-broken boy, to someone who finds a place for himself in the world. His large, emotive eyes draw you in and tug on your heart strings, and physically he is reminiscent of Elijah Wood as a child actor.
Hugo and Isabelle
It is no surprise that Georges Melies (Ben Kinglsey) turns out to be the filmmaker Melies who made the now legendary A Trip to the Moon, Or Voyage to the Moon, in 1902. The real Melies did end up working as a toy maker after World War One ended his film career. Considered the “father of special effects” the real Melies was a pioneer of fantasy films, making over 500 in his career. This is where Scorsese’s homage to cinema comes in. Together Hugo and Isabelle discover that her godfather is actually a filmmaker. So heartbroken was he over his filmmaking coming to an end that he denies his cinema history, until the children ensure he gets the recognition he deserves. And so does Scorsese, lovingly recreating scenes from Melies’ early fantasy short films, and imagining him as actor, writer and director in flashbacks. Much is also made throughout the film of the power of cinema to bring dreams to life and to make them reality. Scorsese also recreates the famous screening of the Lumiere brothers first film, that of the train entering the station, where the audience fled from their seats because they were afraid they were going to get hit! Hugo is astonished when Isabelle tells him she has never seen a film, and insists on sneaking her into a cinema to watch one. Hugo also recounts how his father had amazing memories of seeing A Trip to the Moon at the cinema for the first time. They also meet a film professor, Rene Tabard, whose love of film was born from seeing Melies’ films as a child.
Hugo and Melies in the toyshop
Scorsese has created a wonderful, moving family film that celebrates the power of people to help and to heal. This is marred perfectly with a celebration of the birth of cinema and its ability to bring dreams to life. It is also one of the best book adaptations I have ever seen, while also being one of the most striking visual films, not to mention the best ever use of 3D, and all in service to the story. Scorsese has created a film of the book which ought to make the author, Brian Selznick, very proud. You will regret it if you don’t see Hugo at the movies.
If you like this review then Tweet it!
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