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| Movie Review: Hugo Alternate Title: Dream Catcher
Story: What a treat. I was enchanted
from the first frame right through the credits. It is another film devoted
to the art of cinema (see my review of The Artist) that wins my heart.
It is lovingly directed by Martin Scorsese and written
by John Logan. It is based on the illustrated historical
novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,”
by Brian Selznick. It is 1930's Paris. Hugo, an orphan boy, unbeknownst
to all, lives in the back rooms and hidden passages of a huge train
station while maintaining the gears and mechanisms of the giant clocks
- a craft learned thru his deceased father and absent uncle. He longs
for a family, a life and to belong. Hugo's hobby is trying to fix an
automaton his father and he were working on at the time of his death.
He is caught stealing parts for his automaton by a train station shopkeeper,
who turns out to be the famous film maker Georges Melies. Melies' young
ward, manages to befriend Hugo and their adventures begin. Can young Hugo be helped? Can the automaton be
fixed? Will Melies ever smile again? These stories on the surface are appealing but
what I found most enthralling was Scorsese's homage to the cinema. Scorsese
manages to use the most modern of film making techniques, 3D, to make
a movie about the beginnings of the art form. Brilliant! This movie was entertaining, transporting, heartfelt
and rich on spirit. Go see it and have some cinematic fun. By the way
- I am not a big fan of 3D but I did not mind it as Scorses uses it
here. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfjtjpZTISo Check out a short clip from the 1902 George Melies'
Trip to the Moon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dTVfSJoj04 Acting: Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret is wonderful.
I think this little boy has a long career ahead of him. Ben
Kingsley as Pappa Georges/Georges Méliès is,
as always, terrific.Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle
was delightful. Sacha Baron Cohen as the Station Inspector
was perfect. The rest of the cast was terrific as well, including, Ray
Winstone (Uncle Claude), Emily Mortimer (Lisette),
Helen McCrory (Mama Jeanne), Christopher Lee
(Monsieur Labisse), Michael Stuhlbarg (René
Tabard), Frances de la Tour (Madame Emilie), Richard
Griffiths (Monsieur Frick) and Jude Law (Hugo’s
Father). Predilection: I like Scorsese films.
Trivia: Chloë Grace Moretz starred in the movie
Let Me In as "Abbey", a 12-year-old vampire who befriends
and protects a 12-year- old boy named "Owen". Asa
Butterfield is an English actor, best known for starring in
the Holocaust film The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, as Norman in the
2010 film Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. He will also be portraying
Ender Wiggin in the upcoming film adaptation of the science fiction
novel Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Georges Méliès
(8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938), was a French filmmaker
famous for leading many technical and narrative developments in the
earliest cinema. He was very innovative in the use of special effects.
He accidentally discovered the stop trick, or substitution, in 1896,
and was one of the first filmmakers to use multiple exposures, time-lapse
photography, dissolves, and hand-painted color in his films. Because
of his ability to seemingly manipulate and transform reality through
cinematography, Méliès is sometimes referred to as the
First "Cinemagician".
Critters: A very energetic doberman and two adorable
dachshunds.
Food: Croissants, bread, espresso.
Sex Spectrum: None
Opening Titles: There is an almost dialogue-less
lengthy opening passage that will delight on and all and then simply
the title of the film. The rest of the credits are at the end.
Visual Art: Stunning visuals throughout.
Theater Audience: There were about 30 other people
in a very early Sunday morning showing.
Weather: Winter in Paris is beautiful.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: I paid attention throughout.
Predictability Level: High
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: Yes
Big Screen or Rental: Big screen for sure.
Length: A smidgen over two hours.
LOBO HOWLS: 9 |