Hugo (Martin Scorsese, 2011): USA

Reviewed by Sandra Andersson. Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival

In Hugo Martin Scorsese takes us on a trip to Paris in the 1930s, even though we see that the conditions Hugo lives in is not the best for a child we can’t think anything other then that everything in the film looks magical and beautiful. The film is based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret from 2007 written by Brian Selznick.

The film takes us on a adventure with the orphan boy Hugo(Asa Butterfield). After Hugo’s father dies in an accident his drunk uncle brings Hugo with him to live at the train station and maintain the clocks, now his uncle is long gone and Hugo is left by himself maintaining the clocks, figure out the mystery with the automaton his father left behind him and to survive. To survive Hugo is forced to steal food from the different shops at the train station, all the time by the fear to be taken by the train station inspector Gustav(Sasha Baron Cohen) who will send him to the orphanage.

Watching the film it’s hard to believe that Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz are so you young as they are, they do an amazing job portraying Hugo and Isabelle. And it’s amazing that both of them at that age have had great success before Hugo, Butterfield with The Boy In The Striped Pajamas and Mortez in Kick-Ass, I believe that both of them can expect a great career in front of them.

Going in to the theatre I was expecting to see typical kids film, I certainly did not expect that Hugo would turn out to be a story about the beginning of cinema and Georges Méliès. The first time we saw the picture of what the automaton drew I was really surprised and didn’t get what “A trip to the moon” had to to with this storyline, but when it all came together I was really happy. I was glad that Scorsese gave us the story about the start of cinema, something many don’t know anything about and that is really important for the world to remember.

Hugo is Scorsese’s first attempt at 3D, and he did it well. This is by far the best film in 3D I have seen, and if someone is going to see Hugo they should see it in 3D to get the ultimate experience. Hugo is an amazing film that you will appreciate no matter how old or young you are. Sure children won’t understand the film history part of the film but they will love the adventure with Hugo and Isabelle. For me, Hugo was so much better than I expected it to be and Scorsese succeeded once again.

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Published:
02.10.12 / 9pm
Category:
Films, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2012