I saw Hugo last night and was absolutely enthralled and dazzled from the first frame to the last. The few details that I gleaned from scanning the glowing reviews - the setting: a pre-WWII Parisian train station; the hero: an adorable, plucky underdog; the plot: a mystery revolving around a broken automaton - already piqued my interest. It reminded me a little of Cinema Paradiso in its celebration of film making. And the performances, even the peripheral characters, are perfect - restrained, yet manages to move you deeply. The two lead kids are excellent - adventurous, observant, and endlessly curious. Ben Kingsley just breaks your heart. Sasha Baren Cohen is subtly hilarious. This is my favorite kind of tearjerker - when the characters find a way to move past their heartbreak and ultimately stumble upon a new kind of happiness. The movie itself is just really gorgeous to look at. I've always loved the look of early 20th century Paris, and this movie bathes everyone and everything in a beautiful light that is so crisp and vibrant, yet manages to convey warmth. Oh, and the other thing that won my heart - it incorporated tango music and dancing!
The biggest surprise was how much 3D contributed to the storytelling. I had already written 3D off as lame and a waste of money, but now I'm happy to eat my words after seeing it put to such good use. The way 3D was used in this film felt like a different kind of immersive experience. It's really pretty genius how this film incorporated 3D into its story. A large part of Hugo is a love letter to film making when it was in its infancy and how it drew the audience into the story and ignited the imagination. Watching it in 3D gave me the same sense of wonderment that I can only imagine the characters felt when they saw the first "moving pictures." The film is a giant ode not just to the final product, but to the whole process of putting a film together - from the mechanics of the machines and cameras, to splicing the film, to building the sets, to working with actors and crew and special effects - and how all the elements come together to make something magical. I guess in a larger sense, this movie can be an ode, not just to movie making, but of learning and creating things that come from the heart.
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4 comments:
i went to see this last weekend and love it. i did not see it in 3D. perhaps i will see it again with dylan and elle.
Nadia - I had a feeling you'd love it!
You've given me a whole new view of this film. The previews weren't doing it for me, but now I'm curious.
Lisa - It's totally worth watching it in 3D, too! Parts of it reminded me of Cinema Paradiso and Amelie.
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