Review of Hugo (2011) by Spencer S — 26 May 2014
There's a whole lot to love about "Hugo" but most of the time the beauty it strives to connect with a deep emotion, fails to do so. The main reason "Hugo" works is because its visuals are enchanting, it's based in the world of Melies, and it connects different elements of movie magic together to form a great story about magic in technology and film.
Though the film is very beautiful and has colorful characters, including Ben Kingsley as Melies and Sacha Baron Cohen as a squeaky legged patrolman, there's no emotional response to the absolute magic.
The lead character is played by Asa Butterfield, who gives little to no emotion when delivering his lines, while his backstory, and how he gets himself involved in working the clocks in the train station, is full of holes.
The film is strangely paced and the plot is oddly structured. Though it's definitely the pinnacle of ooh and aah filmmaking (based on the greatness of Melies) it lacks the chemistry of the thing it is inspired by.
This review of Hugo (2011) was written by Spencer S on 26 May 2014.
Hugo has generally received very positive reviews.
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