Review of Hugo (2011) by Henrik S — 13 Jan 2014

A visual masterpiece for sure and a well-deserved Academy Award for Cinematography but despite being a love poem written for the (early) art of filmmaking and Georges Melies, in found the overall story and characters a tad lacking. The basic backdrop is a Dickensian story about an orphaned boy ( for the most basic and dullest of reasons really) who struggles to find his place in the world, dealing with grumpy authorities, evil relatives and a lovely, albeit withdrawn father-figure. Like I said, Dickens all over the place. Yet, I felt that the story itself never really picks up a good pace, making you wonder what is going to happen next or how any particular problem / conflictc can be solved by the protagonists. The film also lacks a clear-cut antagonist apart from some random bad guys (who are not all that bad) roaming around the premises, being mean for the sake of it.

The film works best when there is no dialogue, the tender love story of an elderly gentleman who wooes for the attention of an old lady but is being unkindly denied the path to her heart by her vicious little dog, is heartwarming and a nod to the art of telling stories through imagery, acting and composition of the scene. Hugo watches the scenes unfold, just as we watch the film unfold.

Of course, as an ode to the likes of Melies, the bombastic and lush setting of Hugo is probably the appropriate way to go and it is the imagery, glowing snowflakes and steamy clockwork machines, that makes this film stand out.

The cast is good and Asa Butterfield is not even awkward as so many youth actors usually are. Chloe Moretz for example lacks the talent to make us suspend our beliefs for the sake of indulging in such a fantasy. Cohen plays himself, as usual and Kingsley is typecast. It is a shame that Emily Mortimer did not get more exposure in the film, she is a wonderful actress. I was pleasantly surprised by the great and tender performance of Michael Stuhlbarg. What else is there so say about Christopher Lee in a film ? It always makes that particular silverscreen moment a magical one. The aforementioned little love story is acted out by Richard Griffiths in one part, a great actor indeed.

All in all, it sure looks amazing but lacks the substance to be a masterpiece, in my humble opinion.