Review of Hugo (2012) by David L — 11 Apr 2015

Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest directors of cinema history. He is the pillar that proudly stands next to Steven Spielberg. He has made several iconic masterpieces over the decades. From crime thrillers, gangster films, war films, and now family features. "Hugo" is Scorsese's first family film. It stars Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, and Jude Law.

The film follows the story of a young boy named Hugo Cabret (Butterfield). Hugo is a young clockmaker living in Paris. His father (Jude Law), passed away not to many years before. His ghastly drunken uncle (Winstone), raises him, and teaches him how to work the clocks of the train station. When said uncle goes missing, Hugo is left to manage the clocks on his own. Hugo has been working on a special machine he and his father found in an abandoned theater years ago. It is called an automaton.

Young Asa Butterfield does a fantastic job in this film. His performance is believable and sincere. As a character, his story is very sad. Hugo's character arc is very emotional. The cast assembled around him is superb. Ben Kingsley plays a callused and hurting man. His journey and story is very moving, and it contrasts beautifully with Hugo's. Christopher Lee and Jude Law get some lovely cameos, in which they shine immensely. Chloë Grace Moretz plays Hugo's friend and companion, Isabelle in his adventure.

The story and script are absolutely beautiful. It's about a young boy trying to mend the hurt of losing his father. The characters and dialogue are so strong and elegantly written. Ultimately, this is Scorsese's tribute to cinema. The film is not only a story about Hugo, but a story about film. Woven through Hugo's adventure is the underlying message about the power of movies. The ability to dream and imagine. The passion and effort put into such films as The Man in the Moon. It was a simple little movie, but it was creatively superb. This film shows what it was like making these old movies. The sets, the costumes, and the magic of it all are all shown. It's an incredible tribute to cinema.Hugo-hugo-movie-28047324-1152-814.

Much like these old movies, this film shows the magic of movie making. The visuals here are stupendous. Everything from the CGI, costumes, set pieces, and cinematography are gorgeous. The CGI looks so real. The costumes are well tailored, colorful, and creatively unique. Every set piece looks real, authentic, and made with care. The film won an award for Best Visual Effects. It also won for it's superb sound editing. Robert Richardson does a fantastic job behind the camera, winning himself an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Finally, Howard Shore's score-while very familiar-is very beautiful.

"Hugo" may be slightly held back by it's two hour running time, but nevertheless it's a great film. With a beautiful story that matches it's beautiful visuals, it succeeds on every level of filmmaking. Scorsese directs with mastery, the script is perfect, the costumes are wonderful, and the score is magical. Anyone who loves the art of cinema with greatly appreciate this film. It's perfect for families as well. Your children will be captivated, and adults with shed a tear. It captures the heart of a child and the heart of cinema itself.