After much persuasion I was able to convince my housemate to go and see Hugo in 3D at the cinema, despite his claims that the film was not in his taste. All I can say to him after seeing it is ‘Thank You’ because I thought it was the best film that I have seen in a long time. Sure it does not have the entertainment value of the ‘Three Musketeers’ or the subtle espionage presented in ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, spy’ but it is a beautifully crafted film which serves both as a feel good fantasy about the values of friendship and persistence as well as a tribute to the birth of cinema. Of course as with all of my posts they are a matter of opinion, my opinion to be specific and if you disagree with it please don’t take issue with it.
The story focuses on a young boy, the titular Hugo Cabaret who lives within the walls of a train station tending to the clocks, making sure he is always out of the watchful gaze of the and spending his time attempting to repair an automaton that is the only link with his deceased father by stealing clockwork mechanics from a toy store based within the train station. Enter Sir Ben Kingsley, as ‘Papa George’ the cold, repressed toy shop owner with a history which young Hugo and his new friend Isabelle Papa George’s god daughter as played by Chloe Moretz, could not even begin to comprehend.
The performances were exceptional throughout with Asa Butterfield being an able lead, although in the film’s more emotional scenes his grief and sense of hopelessness fail to successfully convince, but on the whole his haunting visage makes him perfect for the role and I consider him a very bright newcomer to the Hollywood scene. Chloe Moretz as always is very convincing in her role and plays it with a sense of determinism and the childish desire of adventure which really make her the perfect deuteragonist and serves to keep the adventurous duo grounded. The supporting players, from Mama Jeanne, Papa George’s devoted wife as played by Helen McCrory to Monsieur Labisse, the station’s bookshop played by the legendary Sir Christopher Lee (I was especially pleased to see him within this film as the man is my idol) who played his role with a graceful nobility which has become a trademark of all his performances. A notable mention should be given to Sacha Baron Cohen whom I have grown to dislike through his performances as Borat (don’t judge me) and Bruno, and yet managed to deliver a performance as the tenacious and antagonistic station inspector who is always one step behind the resourceful hero. His portrayal as the man who has been damaged by his traumatic past and yet refuses to show that he is still suffering and masks it behind a facade of professionalism and bumbling sadistic meticulousness served to elevate him quite highly in my expectations. However, this is Sir Kingsley’s film. His performance as George Melies was both emotional and powerful, his turmoil at having the life that he has worked so hard to repress come back to haunt him in a way he never imagined was truly riveting. Now I know he has been in a lot of film, but I would personally consider this to be the best performance I have seen of his to date. He is the emotional centre of the film and serves as partial antagonist and tragic victim in one complex package.
The aesthetics and the mise-en-scene of this film are magical in its presentation. In truth I find it difficult to convey in words. For the first time since this ridiculous 3D obsession began I found that it actually enhanced the movie’s flow rather than detracting from it. I never could understand the movie industry’s newfound love of the 3D medium; it seems unnecessary, superfluous and entirely unworthy of the increase in fee for the moviegoers. But I digress, one thing I found particularly prudent was the attention to detail in the set, the early 20th century train station is purely sublime for its realistic integrity, I had the privilege of watching Sir Christopher Lee’s Christmas address on the internet the other day and in that he too expresses his impressed sentiments and the realism of the set stating that he is old enough to remember such train stations and to his memory Scorsese has managed to recreate them perfectly.
There is flaws however, the film’s rather lengthy time being one of them, towards the end regardless of the fact that I was enjoying the film I did find myself wishing I could just get up and stretch my leg for a bit, but there is one area in particular in which the film may not be entirely successful and that is the majority of its actual content. As a film lover and someone who has studied the early history of film the narrative rang particularly true for me and to see a recreation of Melies infamous film studio constructed almost like a green house so as to let the natural light in, as well excerpts from Melies’ classic films such as his masterpiece ‘La Voyage dans le Lunes’ (1902) in full cinematic 3D was a magnificent experience. Furthermore the film is littered with references to classic films, including the oft parodied scene in which Harold Lloyd in ‘Safety Last’ (1923) hangs from one of the arms of a gargantuan clock face a technique here utilised by Hugo himself. I suppose what I am trying to say is that this film seems to be an homage to the origins of film and it is my belief that unless you are yourself a devotee of the cinematic arts then some of its magic will be lost on you. But that is not enough to detract anyone from seeing this film. I know this review as been a giant gush of love for this film but I do not exaggerate. I urge you go and see this film, or if you miss it on the cinemas I implore you to watch it on DVD. It was truly one of the best cinematic experiences of 2011 if not ever.
