A Love Letter to Film

Yesterday I went to see Hugo which is Martin Scorsese's new film. I had no idea what the film was actually about going in. I'd seen the trailer and thought it looked magical but in all honesty I thought it was simply about a boy and some clocks. Instead I found a film that spoke to my heart. I do not want to give away any plot points because I think the magic lies in the secrets. What I will say is that Scorsese's Hugo is a love letter to film. 

There's no doubt that Scorsese is a brilliant filmmaker, one only needs to look at his resume to understand his genius. This is the first time however that I've seen him do something that doesn't involve violent plot lines. He stepped out of his familiar gangster shoes and into a thriller with Shutter Island, a film which to be honest I found a little disappointing. So naturally I wasn't sure whether or not he could pull off a family fantasy adventure film. But Ladies and Gentlemen let me tell you that he can!

When I looked on imdb.com for a synopsis of the film all it gave was this: "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". The story is in fact much more complex than that, but the fun is not knowing where these complexities lie. If you are a lover of film history like myself then you will definitely take away a lot more from this film. 

I really do not want to say anything else about the plot. Instead I'd like to take a look at the brilliant performances in the film:

Hugo is played by Asa Butterfield, a young boy with the most amazing blue eyes. He did a wonderful job the role which required a lot of emotion from a child so young. He reminded me of Freddie Highmore, who did a magnificent performance in Finding Neverland. There are many successful screen actors out there who have yet to master the techniques of acting, particularly acting through ones eyes, so it's incredible to see a young child understand this vital part of performance. 

Chloe Grace Mortez plays Isabelle, Hugo's friend. The two of them are adorable on screen together and bring an innocence that Hollywood has all but tried to take from children in film. 

Ben Kingsley plays George, Isabelle's grandfather, who fixes broken toys but can't seem to fix his broken heart. His backstory is integral to the main plot and is really interesting to watch unravel. It goes without saying that Kingsley did a great job as this distant and broken man. 

Sacha Baron Cohen plays the Station Inspector. He brings a level of humour to the film but it is done in a subtle way rather than the flamboyancy we've come to associate with Cohen. I enjoyed that they did not make this character 2D as would be expected. The Station Inspector is one of those characters that can easily be the villain of the story, instead however Cohen brings heart to the character.

There are many other great performances by some very well known actors. Look out for Jude Law, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer and Frances de la Tour. 

Hugo is an enchanting film that is perfect for children and adults. There's a sense of that Tim Burton magic throughout, and so I wasn't surprised to find that Burton's second in command, Johnny Depp was a producer. If you're looking for an adventure then check out Hugo. As Papa George says, "if you ever wonder where your dreams come from, look around: this is where they're made".