MM Film Blog

Hugo is successful on so many levels, it's hard to know where to begin. It is a true triumph for Martin Scorsese -- his first PG rated film since The Age of Innocence (1993)! It is no wonder that the film garnered the most 2011 Academy Award nominations (11), and won 5 of those awards (Cinematography, Art Direction, Visual Effects, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing).

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Adapted for the screen by John Logan from Brian Selznick's historical fiction novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, it tells the story of a 12-year old orphan named Hugo (Asa Butterfield) who lives in the walls of Paris's Montparnasse train station and keeps the clocks running. On the surface, it is an adventure story, as Hugo tries to fix an automaton that is supposed to write with a pen, to see if it has a message from his deceased clockmaker father (Jude Law). Prior to his father's death in a fire in the museum where he worked, they had been working together to restore the automaton, which had been abandoned at the museum. After his father's death, Hugo is taken to live with his uncle in the train station, and continues to live there alone after his uncle's disappearance.

The adventure intensifies when Hugo meets young Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), after her godfather (Ben Kingsley) takes Hugo's notebook which contains all the drawings and information pertaining to the automaton. The book-loving Isabelle longs for adventure, and the movie-loving Hugo is only too happy to oblige! At one point she cautions, "We could get in trouble," to which he replies, "That's how you know it's an adventure!" The friendship that develops between Hugo and Isabelle is quite sweet, and nicely played by the 2 young actors. And as a side note, it is amusing how the avid reader Isabelle is always trying out new words.

[It should be noted that there are some major revealers from this point forward.]

Beyond the basic framework of the story, there are many other layers. Asa Butterfield gives a sensitive performance beyond his years as the young man who is trying to find his purpose in life, which is something that all of us have thought about at one time or another. Believing that the world is like a huge clock and that we are all parts, he is struggling to find his place in the world. And being a clockmaker, he has an intense desire to see everyone fulfill the purpose they were created for, and to try to "fix" anyone who appears "broken". His inner wisdom is poignant and beautiful!

It turns out that Isabelle's godfather is the real life Georges Méliès (and is so-named in the film), who among other things was one of the early pioneers of film-making. He created 531 films between 1895 and 1913, ranging up to 40 minutes in length. Pieces of several of these films are shown within this film. Méliès was one of the first to use special effects in films, and he also designed, wrote, acted, made costumes, built sets, and generally oversaw all aspects of the creative process.

Thus the film is a tribute to the history of film-making, and who better to create such a tribute than one of the modern day film maestros?! It is said that in many ways the George Méliès character represents Scorsese himself, and that Kingsley modeled the young Méliès after him. So for all of us who love films and the art of film-making, this film strikes a deep chord within!

This love of movies is personified in René Tabard (Michael Stuhlbarg), a fictional professor who is an expert on film history, and a huge fan of Méliès. We can palpably feel his love of film-making and his reverence for Méliès, so we can easily ride the wave of his excitement. Tabard reveals to us that Georges' wife Jeanne was an actress and that she starred in all his films. She is played with heart by Helen McCrory (Harry Potter fans will recognize her as Narcissa Malfoy).

Thus an entire fictional story is woven around these 2 historical figures. Most of the facts given about the careers of Georges and Jeanne are historically accurate. He did in fact work in a toy shop in the train station when his career was in a period of decline, which inspired the setting for the book and film. The one thing that is not said is that during the period where he was making films, Jeanne D'Alcy was actually his mistress. He was married to Eugènie until her death in 1913, and finally married Jeanne in 1925. After he married Jeanne they lived in Paris with his young granddaughter, which may have been the inspiration for the character of Isabelle.

The automaton in the film is like another character -- though it is made of metal, it cleverly and subtly appears to display different facial expressions in different scenes, or to reflect the emotions that Hugo is feeling. Georges Méliès actually did have a collection of automata. (The one in the film was inspired by The Writer, designed and built by Swiss watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz and Jean-Frédéric Leschot in the 18th century.)

The film boasts a strong supporting cast, including Sacha Baron Cohen as the station inspector who is relentlessly trying to catch Hugo, Emily Mortimer as the flower girl who steals his heart, Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour (2 more Harry Potter alumni) as shopkeepers with an eye for each other, and Christopher Lee as a bookseller who lends books to Isabelle. They help round out the drama with touches of humor and tenderness. Sacha Baron Cohen's performance ranges from slapstick humor to vulnerability, as he deals with a malfunctioning leg brace from a war injury, and the more inward scars of growing up in an orphanage.

The awards for cinematography (Robert Richardson) and art direction (Dante Farretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo) are very well deserved -- the streets of 1931 Paris look like a dreamy, romantic painting. Even the train station is beautiful -- there are many scenes with smoke or steam hovering or wafting through the air. It is very stylized, and helps transport us to another time and place which is both real and imagined.

It is said that Scorsese was inspired to make the film Hugo after being given the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by his young daughter Francesca (who also suggested that he film it in 3D). Bravo, Francesca! Though much of the film is seen through the eyes of 2 12-year old youngsters, it is not a film solely for children. There is something in it for all of us!

MM Rating: *****