Hugo

Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Baron Cohen, Jude Law and Ben Kingsley
Releasing in cinemas: 12 January 2012
Rated: NYR (likely PG)

Even if you're familiar with the films of Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island, Goodfellas), nothing will prepare you for his virtuoso flight of magic fantasy in Hugo, the tale of a fey boy who lives in a Paris railway station clock, and his encounter with the pioneer film maker Georges Méliès. Scorsese creates a fabulous world of enchantment, making the best use yet of 3D technology and pushing its boundaries.

Set in the early 20th Century, the opening spectacular tracking shot (Orson Welles himself would applaud) sweeps us through the Montparnasse station between trains, ending on a close-up of a young lad peeping out from a clock-face.

Thus we meet Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), whose uncle is in charge of clocks at the train station. Hugo's father (Jude Law), a skilled clockmaker, works to repair a complex clockwork automaton he once found. Sadly he dies before he can completely restore the mechanical figure, which can write. Orphaned Hugo hides within the great clocks of the station, living amongst the shining gear wheels and pendulums, maintaining the clocks to keep perfect time. He survives by flinching food from the store holders at the station.

Sour tempered old Georges Méliès, (Ben Kingsley) runs a magic toy shop, and catches Hugo stealing. Hugo has to work in the shop for the grouchy Méliès to pay off the debt, and not be snatched away by the war-wounded station's gendarme (Sacha Baron Cohen) noted for sending stray children to the dreaded orphanage.

Hugo, with his passion for clockwork, tries to fully restore the mechanical man, hoping it might scribe a message from his father. In this Hugo finds a friend in Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), a cheerfully precocious girl brought up by Papa Méliès and his wife. Little does Hugo know Méliès actually built the automaton - he was once a famous magician as well as a creator of truly fantastic films. Their unusual relationship has intriguing results.

Martin Scorsese offers reverential homage to the early cinema in this splendid fairytale more for adults than perhaps children, since its relaxed pacing and whimsical Dickensian style may not capture the short attention span of the very young. Certainly this is a different kind of movie for Scorsese, but its brilliance lies in his well honed behind-the-camera skills, which are used to great effect here.

Fabulous dreamlike set pieces abound, with exemplary use of CGI and 3D, while there's a glorious fascination with automatons and clockwork devices shown in sparkling detail. We're also privileged to witness the Lumière Brothers film of a train entering a station, with the live audience panicking as they did in the early days of the Cinematograph. This resonates with another scene from the film reconstructing the famous 1895 derailment at Gare Montparnasse. Restored hand-tinted sections from Méliès' 1902  A Trip to the Moon, and a clip of Harold Lloyd's dizzying Safety Last adventure provide further treats for the movie buff.

Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) remains fairly neutral as the linchpin of the story, but the lively Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass) is dazzling by comparison. Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island) is suitably prickly as the elderly Méliès fallen on hard times. Lifting from Inspector Clouseau, an almost unrecognizable Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) is a riot with his gammy leg (shades of Dr. Strangelove) and slapstick performance as he pursues Hugo with surprising antipathy. Jude Law has only a small role, as does Christopher Lee.

Fluid cinematography impresses with fabulous images incorporating eye-boggling 3D, such as ashes suddenly blown in your face. As in The Elephant Man the appearance of steam in many shots adds a veiled impression of depth to the visuals. The script by John Logan, is based on Brian Selznick’s illustrated children’s book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

No doubt Hugo is a work of love for Scorsese, who is instrumental in the preservation of important films. His passion for the pioneer days of the film industry is infectious and drives the movie. It also reflects something of his own childhood fascination with the technique of filmmaking. Hugo provides wonderful entertainment; a rewarding nostalgic experience. 

John Bale