Review of Hugo (2011) by Khuda H — 14 Jul 2013

Martin Scorsese is one of the most acclaimed directors of all-time, with hits like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and The Departed (I can't judge any of these films cause I haven't seen any of these films before). In 2011, he went into family fantasy with a story that pays tribute to the early days of silent cinema. I had never watched a Scorsese film before, and Hugo serves as a grand introduction to an acclaimed director.

Based on the unique book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", Hugo tells the story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), an orphaned boy living in the clock towers of a train station in 1920's Paris. Ever since his father (Jude Law) died in a fire, Hugo has been wanting to unlock the secret to a mysterious automaton that he's been working on since he first discovered it. With the help of young girl Isabelle (Chloe Morez), Hugo sets out to figure out the mysteries of his past, and even help change the lives of others, such as Isabelle's guardian, a depressed, mysterious old man named Georges (Ben Kingsley) who works in a mini toy shop.

Other stars in Hugo include Sacha Baron Cohen as the Station Inspector, Ray Winstone as Hugo's drunk uncle, Christopher Lee as the librarian, and Emily Mortimer as a flower salesman who falls for the inspector (it's The Pink Panther all over again).

Without giving away too much of the story, I must say that Hugo is a wonderful film. It pays tribute to the early days of cinema, and clearly, Martin Scorsese is dedicated to preserving the old Hollywood classics. Hugo is a loving tribute to these old films, and it could cause newcomers to be interested in silent films (I still need to check some out, particularly the works of Charlie Chaplin). Interestingly, 2011 also was the year of the silent film The Artist, which was an acclaimed film that won Best Picture.

The casting is well-done. Asa Butterfield is amazing as Hugo, and could possibly move audiences, particularly people who have had similar issues. Chloe Moretz, meanwhile, is phenomenal as Isabelle. Boy, can this young girl act. I can see true potential out of her in the future. Ben Kingsley is always a sight as the mysterious toymaker. While I'm not a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen, he was pretty memorable as the Station Inspector, and occasionally funny.

The score is also a highlight. Using traditional French music, Howard Shore, best known for scoring The Lord of the Rings films, delivers in the action, the drama, and the emotional levels of the film.

But what really makes Hugo a great film is the visual effects. I missed out on seeing this in 3D, but even in 2D, the visuals are a sight to see. From the beautiful cinematography of 1920's Paris, to the automaton, to the recreations of the silent films, to a crazy climax involving Hugo dangling off a clock tower (reminiscent of that old silent film Safety Last), the visuals are incredibly made and will stand the test of time.

With an amazing cast, fantastic visuals, beautiful cinematography, and a wonderful score by Howard Shore, Hugo is one amazing film, and serves as not only a great introduction (well, for me at least) to Martin Scorsese's direction, but also serves as a fitting tribute to silent cinema.