Hugo
On the surface, Hugo looks like your run-of-the-mill Harry Potter knock-off, full of whimsy, spectacle, life lessons and faux-imagination. But the young adult fiction adaptation is anything but factory-processed. Filled with more passion, emotion and drama than most ''Oscar contenders'' of 2011, Hugo transcends its fantastical predecessors. Some call Hugo director Martin Scorsese's foray into kids movies, but the film speaks to ''kids'' young and old. Every scene, every moment, every frame gushes with creativity and artistry, and it's one of the best movies of the year.
Hugo doesn't sugarcoat the plights faced by the film's titular hero. When we pick up with Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), the savvy lad is living in the walls of a 1930's Parisian train station, taking over the clock winding duties of his missing uncle (a drunk who took him in after his clockmaker father's unfortunate demise). Aside from his day to day duties, Hugo faces greater challenges: evading capture from the station's resident orphan wrangler (Sacha Baron Cohen) and swiping parts from a toy store owner (Ben Kingsley) to rebuild his father's automaton, a early 20th century robot designed for entertainment. Hugo's thievery is eventually discovered by the weary toyman, who takes the child under his wing to make use of his tinkering skills. The professional relationship introduces Hugo to the toyman's goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Moretz), who helps Hugo unravel the greater mystery behind his father's robot and ''Papa Georges,'' as well as better understand himself.
As Hugo and Isabelle dig deeper into Papa Georges' history, they unearth a history that's simultaneously magical and true—they aren't going to a far away land through an otherworldly portal, but instead examining an aspect of history, cinematic history in fact, that feels foreign to them (and the audience). With a their innocent perspective, the young duo marvel at stories of the early days of film and glimpses of long lost silents. This is Scorsese's playground. His love for the early days of film is infused into the design and story of Hugo, giving the movie a timeless feel that sweeps the viewer up.
But Hugo isn't just a souped-up Film 101 course. The historical revelations are only part of Hugo's emotional journey, which is equally enhanced by stunning 3D, detailed production design and a supporting cast woven into the film's fabric to further expand the world. Cohen's Station Inspector is like a Buster Keaton character, complete with pratfalls and heart. Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man, Boardwalk Empire appears as Scorsese's proxy, relishing the world of film while caring for Hugo and Isabelle. Even Christopher Lee's (Lord of the Rings) brief turn as a book store owner succeeds in evoking a smile. All the parts come together under the intricate train station set, a beautifully realized period piece brought to life by Scorsese's dimensional 3D. Never before has a stereoscopic film worked so hard to bring you into the picture, or enhance the storytelling (on sequence shows a cowering crowd experiencing film for the first time, a train hurtling towards camera—an effect paralleled in today's 3D effects!). If the story doesn't suck you in, the artistry on display in Hugo surely will.
We praised the film in an unfinished form when we caught it at New York Film Festival, and the finalized version packs an even greater punch. Hugo is the perfect film to hypnotize young people with the magic of film, or to revisit the heart-pounding experience of a person's first time at a movie theater. This isn't nostalgic baiting, but rather expert filmmaking.
Hollywood.com rated this film 4 1/2 stars.