A young boy who lives in a train station uncovers a mystery behind one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Sounds like a Steven Spielberg film, right? Not this time.
Instead, the filmmaker behind this fun, imaginative film is none other than Martin Scorsese. Best known for gritty gangster films like “Goodfellas” and “The Departed,” Scorsese makes his first foray into the decidedly non-bloody realm of family films, and for the most part, it’s a success (a definite success if you consider the fact that it has received 11 Academy Award nominations).
“Hugo” is the story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), a young orphan who lives in the walls of a Parisian train station in the 1930s. He spends his time maintaining the main clocks in the station and trying to fix his automaton, a mechanical man left behind by his father. Then he meets a grumpy old toymaker (Ben Kingsley) and discovers a mysterious connection between the toymaker and his automaton. Turns out, that sour senior is actually George Meiles, the famous French filmmaker who was believed dead.
Kingsley is excellent as the faded filmmaker, who hides his sadness and pain behind the facade of a grumpy old toy maker. After World War II, Melies and his films were largely forgotten, and he took this rejection very badly. His bitter outbursts are both scary and touching, revealing a man convinced of his own failure and determined to die with his secrets. The flashbacks to his illustrious career provide a wonderful contrast to his gruff older self and express both the joys of the past and the pain of time’s passage.
The film takes place almost entirely inside a Paris train station, and it is a gorgeous set. The colors are rich and deep, and Scorsese’s camera glides gracefully through the station. Scorsese takes great interest in the visual richness of the inner workings of the stations clocks and the audience relished the intricate details of the set, photographed beautifully by cinematographer Robert Richardson.
What doesn’t work, unfortunately, is the titular character. You can’t help feeling Scorsese was more interested in Melies’ career than Hugo’s story. Hugo’s actions are often confusing and his logic unexplained. Butterfield is fine in the titular role, but since the character is underdeveloped, there’s not much he can do with it. And, unfortunately, Melies is just a more interesting character.
Still, this is a fun, beautiful film worth checking out.
BY CONOR HOLT
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