Review of Hugo (2011) by Tarma T — 11 Nov 2014

Too beautiful to ever regret seeing, the film is, unfortunately, somewhat lacking. The story's pace is too slow - a leisurely pace can be a good thing but in this case it just did not have enough in it to justify being as long as it did. The children were, unfortunately, not particularly endearing - Butterfield's performance was not strong enough to carry the film (and to be fair, I doubt that was the boy's fault as much as it was the problem of carrying a two hour film with little plot), and I found myself actively disliking Moretz's character for being extraordinarily callous toward her friend, describing wandering through his 'home' in the station by saying "I feel just like Jean Valjean" (or something similar, and raving about 'adventures', while ignoring the reality of Hugo's situation - the constant fear of capture, the hunger, the loneliness, the lack of basic essentials.

But, like Burton's Alice in Wonderland that I just reviewed, I cannot help watching this one again from time to time simply to enjoy the beauty.

And there are some performances that are worth watching. Hugo may fail to capture us through the use of child protagonists, but it has some particularly likeable characters in the elderly, 'unattractive' characters, all of which center around their love for each other. None of these stories are the main story and yet they capture the imagination and invite one in to share the moment whenever they are on screen, from Madame Emilie and Monsieur Frick's canine-challenged romance to the painfully slow growth of the relationship between the station inspector and Lisette, to the time-tested and quiet love between Papa George and Mama Jeanne.

Cohen actually surprised me greatly with this film - his usual fare is not to my taste and so I have never seen him. I had no idea it was him until I saw the actors listed when I came home. He does a wonderful comedic role as the station inspector, perfectly treading that fine line in which he constantly struggles for dignity through the most ridiculous situations while capturing the sympathy of the audience from the beginning and holding it throughout.

And speaking of perfect, Ben Kingsley is, as usual, wonderful. Hugo's story can't hold a candle to that of Papa George, and Kingsley has both the ability to carry his story and a good enough story to be worth watching. *His* story *is* the reason why you should watch this film at least once. It is a love letter to the beginning of movies, and it is beautiful and touching to watch.