Review of Hugo (2011) by Yi Ming K — 31 Jan 2013

An orphaned boy who keeps the clock running in a Paris train station is about to unlock the secret of his father's legacy. It's mechanics, automatons, and whirlygigs galore in this heartwarming Scorsese film.

I simply love the way this film is put together. The overall wonder it ignites is like a modern fairy tale. Even Sacha Baron Cohen, who I usually find distasteful, did his part to paint the scene of this bustling Parisian station, and the quirky characters who inhabit it daily.

I had been under the impression that it was much more of a family film than it turned out to be. My little ones wouldn't have followed the story easily, though there is nothing in it that would make for inappropriate viewing. I hadn't realized it was truly about the early cinema, but that was more to do with the way it was advertised than being any fault of the film itself. Once I adjusted to the surprising direction the film was taking, I warmed to it immediately. Cinema must have seemed pure magic in those pioneer days of film. I understood at once Scorsese's captivation.

A real joy to watch, even if just for that touch of every day magic. I only saw it at home in 2D, but I'm sure the 3D was worth watching.