Martin Scorsese’s Hugo is both a delight and a lessons in the possibilities of 3D in the hands of a master filmmaker. The story follows a young orphan living in the bowels of a 1920s Paris train station who strives to survive by his wits, keep his independence and solve the puzzle of an discarded automaton.
Scorsese’s use of 3D is revelatory. We feel entirely transported to WITHIN the worlds of the station, of its industrial inner workings and Paris itself. When the orphan walks into a bookstore, we are immersed ourselves in the many stacks of books. Scorsese’s 3D always works to advance the story, not to distract us with assaultive gimmicks.
As an extra treat for movie lovers, the very story becomes one of movie making, film as art and film preservation. We see the early movie magic of George Melies, especially his 1902 A Trip the Moon. We also see Lumiere’s 1896 The Arrival of a Train, and the main characters even sneak into Harold Lloyd’s 1923 Safety Last.
Sacha Baron Cohen is very, very funny as the boy’s foil, the bitter and preening station policeman. The cast is very good, with the most pleasing turns by Emily Mortimer, Helen McCrory and Richard Griffiths.
Hugo makes my list of Best Movies of 2011.