Yet, rather than doing so as a gimmick or, worse yet, as a simple means of increasing ticket prices to generate some bonus box office revenue, the acclaimed director of films such as "Taxi Driver," "Goodfellas" and "Gangs of New York" uses the visual format in what's arguably the most impressive presentation yet. The irony, presumably quite intentional - and coming on the heels of a study stating that digital projectors will finally surpass old film ones in use early next year - is that the director is presenting his film in the latest technological trend of 3D. That, and a great deal more is the subject of "Hugo," director Martin Scorsese's loving and fairly brilliant look back at the early days of filmmaking. In fact, such viewing experiences no doubt inspired a new generation of filmmakers who were greatly influenced as kids seeing that sort of magic and dream-like worlds up on the screen. A former magician turned filmmaker, he recreated his stage magic on film, employing new techniques to delight, mesmerize and quite likely also terrorize some impressionable young minds. While much of that old footage looks quite antiquated nowadays, I can only imagine the reaction it garnered from audiences a century ago.Īnd that was especially true for director Georges Melies. But it wasn't always that way, especially back at the advent of light first passing through celluloid to show people things they had never seen before. OUR TAKE: 7.5 out of 10 Nowadays, people and even quite young kids take movies and all of their latest technological and visual achievements for granted. While working on the automaton, they learn through a series of events that Isabelle's godfather is none other than famed filmmaker Georges Melies, a shock to author Rene Tabard (MICHAEL STUHLBARG) who believed, along with the rest of the world, that the man died during WWI.Īs Hugo and Isabelle dig deeper for the truth, they come to realize that everyone has a purpose in life, including trying to help fix people who might be broken themselves. Young Isabelle (CHLOE GRACE MORETZ), who just so happens to be Georges' godchild - and lives with him and his wife, Mama Jeanne (HELEN McCRORY) - decides to help Hugo since this will be her first real adventure outside of reading books provided to her by librarian Monsieur Labisse (CHRISTOPHER LEE). Hugo is eventually caught by toy shop owner Georges (BEN KINGSLEY) who threatens to burn the boy's sketchbook and then won't give it back if Hugo doesn't work for him in order to pay off the value of what he's previously stolen. That includes stealing the smaller mechanical parts Hugo needs to try and fix a broken automaton that once belonged to his late father (JUDE LAW). They include newspaper vendor Monsieur Frick (RICHARD GRIFFITHS) who's sweet on cafe owner Madame Emilie (FRANCES DE LA TOUR), while florist Lisette (EMILY MORTIMER) can't help but notice that the Station Inspector (SACHA BARON COHEN) is interested in her.īut he's more focused on capturing any orphans, with the help of his Doberman, who cross his path, and Hugo repeatedly has to avoid the man and his dog while going about his daily routine. PLOT: It's the 1930s and Hugo Cabret (ASA BUTTERFIELD) is an orphan who lives in the Paris train station, stealing food and small mechanical parts when not perpetually winding the station's many massive clocks and watching the various workers there go about their daily lives. QUICK TAKE: Drama: An orphan who lives in a 1930s era Paris train station tries to fix a broken automaton and ends up involved in a mystery that will change the lives of those around him. Otherwise, use the following link to read our complete Parental Review of this film. If you've come from our parental review of this film and wish to return to it, simply click on your browser's BACK button. (2011) (Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley) (PG)
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