Hugo is an unbelievably beautiful film. A true work of art brought to life on celluloid. The film captures the power of 3D.
Hugo is based on the Caldecott Medalwinning novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Approximately three-fifths of the book is illustrations with no words.
The story follows the adventures of an orphaned clockmaker’s son who lives and works in a Paris train station winding the clocks (a job his uncle left him). The only remaining link he has to his father is a broken automaton. His search for parts to repair the automaton sets the story in motion.
The film’s use of 3D transports the audience into post-WWI Paris. The techniques used and the sets and artistic elements deployed are revolutionary. The train station and Paris become characters in the film. During the film, Hugo notes that when he feels unimportant he looks out onto Paris and is reminded that each person is a part of a great machine that moves society forward; each small component playing a role. The techniques used in the film makes this notion palpable.
Like the book, the story is told in part by visual images without words. The use of silence may not be as dramatic as in The Artist but it is nonetheless employed with dramatic effect. The actors in the film are required to use expression and reaction to convey emotion and to propel the story. They do both exquisitely. The film is certainly at its most tender when no words are needed.
The film is also splattered with cinematic references and techniques that reach back to the earliest age of film. From the opening scene we are treated to some great homages to the films that make going to the movies great. Director Martin Scorsese is tender in his treatment of these elements. He shows true affection for the history of film and his predecessors.
The performances in the film are pretty strong. The highlight is the performance of Ben Kingsleyas Papa Georges Méliès. He plays the range of his character with great ease. The question mark is the performance of Sacha Baron Cohen as the station manager. He is more sympathetic than he is menacing, but at times he was also a little too cartoon-ish.
The film does have a bit of a pedestrian pace, which may not sit well with all viewers. But if you immerse yourself in the film you forget about the pace. It is a lovely stroll.
Hugo is a lovely little film that everyone should take the time to enjoy.
PARSI VERDICT: A vibrant, moving piece of art.