Hugo (II) two Film Review and wallpaper
Adventure | Drama | Family - 23 November 2011 (USA)
Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: John Logan (screenplay), Brian Selznick (book)
Stars: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz and Christopher Lee
Review
Upon seeing the trailer for "Hugo", I wasn't overly impressed. The blaring emphasis on 3D made me worried it was more spectacle than substance. Still, it was directed by Martin Scorsese, and had Ben Kingsley in it, so I decided to put aside my fears and go see it anyway.
Am I ever glad I did! This is a sweet and gentle tale, full of
unexpected warmth and depth. It is the story of Hugo Cabret, an orphan
and keeper of the clocks at a train station in Paris. His only
connection to his deceased father is a broken-down automaton the two
were repairing before his father's demise in a fire. When Hugo is
caught stealing parts for the automaton by the old owner of a toy shop
in the station (Kingsley), his booklet of sketches related to the
curious mechanical man is taken from him. Attempting to retrieve it, he
meets Isabelle, the goddaughter of the aged man. Together, they begin
to unravel the mystery behind Kingsley's character and help bring his
true identity to light.
(It shouldn't be that much of a surprise to
anyone with knowledge of early film history that has a chance to look
at the cast list here on IMDb. Does the name "Georges Méliès" ring any
bells?) Asa Butterfield does capably in the title role, and Chloe Grace Moretz
shines sublimely as the precocious Isabelle. Of course, Ben Kingsley
gives a terrific performance, powerful and poignant. He plays a broken
man anguished by the shadows of the past.
These three are the central figures of the film, yet the side
characters are handled equally well. That really struck me. A lesser
filmmaker might have let such characters come off as just caricatures,
especially in a children's film. Scorsese doesn't allow for that to
happen. Richard Griffiths', Frances de la Tour's and Christopher Lee's
characters are all skillfully imbued with humanity so that the audience
feels for them and seems to get to know them in spite of their short
periods on screen. Even Sacha Baron Cohen's silly Station Inspector is
more than a one-dimensional figure. In between his cartoonish antics
and chases after Hugo, he is shown to be painfully shy, pining
desperately for the affections of an attractive woman who sells
flowers. We learn also that he was wounded in World War I, and that it
was his days growing up without love in the strict environment of an
orphanage that so embittered him towards the world. He is not merely
some comic antagonist tossed in for the sake of slapstick. Instead, he
is a fascinating and well-developed character in his own right. One
feels compassion and pity for him, and hopes he will have the courage
to speak up and win the heart of his love, that their quirky
relationship will blossom into romance.
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| Buy This Movie |
This is an
intelligent and wondrous work – never sappy or banal. In part a tribute
to the magic of cinema, it reminded me why I love motion pictures so
much. With its richness and nuance, "Hugo" should appeal to children
and adults alike. I realize that saying sounds a little clichéd, but in
this case I have faith in the truth of it.
The 3-D effects of this period movie while not perfect are superior in
quality and add to the brilliance and visual impact of the solid,
personal and intimate and focused storyline. Whether or not its a
technological problem, the most noticeable weakness of the film is the
failure to capture the enhanced ambiance of the 3-D potential of the
vapor and mist that seemed to be found in many of the scenes in Hugo.
Nevertheless the fusion of actual historical characters, the use of 3-D
to recall the earliest days of cinema combined with mystery drama of
this movie results in a remarkable captivating movie plot that involves
the audience on the number of levels - visually, auditory (with notable
sound differentials between speakers), clear and singular plot without
distracting subplots. The implicit fantasy genre elements of this movie
actually are more realized in reality and magic than in sci-fi or
fantasy as part of the storyline itself which in some ways makes this
movie even more remarkable and involving because of its actual
possibilities as an authentic event. The weakness part of the movie
occurred toward the end of the movie with the train station's guard who
at the last minute makes a decision which appeared to be more based on
another character's presence then his own which significantly reduces
the emotive and ethical impact of the scene.
The two 3-D scenes of the
faces of at different times of the station guard and Kingsley are
perhaps some of the finest uses of 3-D yet in its achievement of visual
clarity and enhancement to cinema since 3-D came into its own. The
additional fascinating element of the craftsmanship, the building and
fixing and repairing of objects that has seemed to have gone of out
fashion in today's contemporary throw away society of printers and
consumables makes for both a traditional but enlightening and uplifting
moral tale. This is a story of our time using the past, the good parts
of it unlike perhaps Charles Dickens. With elements from A.I. (2001),
Polar Express (2004) the fairy tale that becomes real makes for a truly
memorable movie.
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Santa Claus is an hereditary role, it seems, with the current Santa - Malcolm Christmas - on the point of retiring. His older son Stephen masterminds the entire Santa operation from a high tech mission control, with his father on board an enormous craft which has long since superseded the low-tech sleigh, and thousands of elves both on the ship and back at base. Precuupied with logistics and the expectation of inheriting the Santa role, he is a bit humorless and single-minded. Younger son Arthur, however, loves everything about Christmas. Unfortunately, he is incredibly clumsy which is why he has been sidelined to the Letters Department, where he writes wonderful letters back to children. On this particular Christmas Eeve, Steve has signed off on another successful mission and everyone has settled down after their Christmas dinner, when it comes to light that a gift has been left behind - a child has been forgotten. Steve is inclined to shrug his shoulders - the percentage error is minuscule. But Arthur, mindful of the fact that this misses the whole point of Christmas, determines to deliver the present, and sets off on an unauthorised delivery by old-fashioned sleigh power, accompanied by long-retired GrandSanta.
analysts for a discussion of some of the political ramifications of the 1911 revolution; the roles that the Republic of China has played in the history of China and the world since 1911; and the significance of the Republic of China in contemporary and future cross-strait relations and international politics. Mary Backus Rankin, a leading expert on the 1911 revolution, delivered the luncheon keynote address. Ambassador Jason Yuan, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, delivered opening remarks prior to the beginning of the panel discussion.
Even new characters like the
Denali clan get some screen time. Keep an eye on that Irina (Maggie
Grace, who manages to do a lot with a little amount of screen time),
she'll be important in Part 2. Bella's friends maybe get a line each.
Jessica (Anna Kendrick, who still steals every scene she's in) gets the
most. She, along with various other characters, add humour. Given how
heavy the storyline is in this film, the humor is a much-appreciated
relief.
