Hugo

I’ve been yammering on and on about a certain movie lately. The movie is Hugo. So I thought instead of just demanding that people go see it, I should write up a few reasons why people really should go see it. Like a little review. Don’t worry, I’ll try to keep it short. And if you don't want to read the whole thing, just skip down to the last couple of paragraphs...

First, a brief summary: The movie takes place somewhere between WWI and WWII in Paris, France. Hugo Cabret (our hero) is a little boy who lives within the walls of a train station. Everyday he must painstakingly wind and reset every clock in the vicinity. In a place where everything is dependent on time (busy train schedules - arrivals, departures, etc.), this is no trifling responsibility. His uncle, a lazy drunkard who had formerly been in charge of all the clocks, has abandoned the boy. In a place bustling with people, he is entirely alone and must live off of whatever he can steal without getting caught. (Don't worry... he does make a friend later on.) The train station itself takes on a life of its own with its various shops, shop-owners, and patrons. They provide an interesting backdrop to the main plot and incorporate other sub-plots into the movie. 

Before working in the train station, we learn that Hugo lived with his father – a clock-maker and inventor who had formerly worked at a local museum. One day his father comes home with a fascinating machine called an automaton that had long since been forgotten in the museum’s basement. The automaton (a type of self-operating machine or robot) is in need of extensive repairs, but the workmanship is so advanced that Hugo and his father run into several difficulties. A pen in its right hand, Hugo’s father explains that the automaton’s function is writing… But what? That's our first mystery. There is also a mystery surrounding a small, heart-shaped key hole in the back of the machine. It seems without the key, the automaton will never be brought back to life. Still, they work tirelessly at their task.

Still with me?

Before the machine can fully be restored, tragedy strikes and Hugo is left on his own. He finds purpose in continuing with the repairs to the sad little robot (really, it has the saddest face), convinced that it holds some message from his father. If he can just get it working, the message will be discovered. He acquires parts for the automaton by stealing toys from a mysterious toy shop owner who works in the train station. Once stolen, he dismantles the toys and up-cycles their various wheels, cogs, and screws. We run into our first episode of conflict when the shop owner catches Hugo stealing a wind-up mouse. Thus begins the first of many chase sequences where Hugo is pursued by the bumbling station inspector. From there we begin to see more of the mystery and history surrounding the automaton unfold. And it's not the only one with secrets.

Top 10 reasons (in no particular order) why you should go see this movie...

1. The "legendary" Martin Scorsese directing... Apparently this is a huge draw for lots of people. Though he's a little out of his genre here, he does an incredible job...
2. Part of the story is based on actual people and actual events. Are you intrigued?
3. Starring Jude Law... Hubba, hubba. Buuuuuut he's only in it for like, 10 minutes. There are a couple other fleeting cameos as well. And by fleeting I mean nary a second. 
4. It is filmed beautifully... Lots of interesting shots and rich colors. 
5. The time period (I'm guessing mid-1920s) is one of my favorites. I just love the aesthetic of this era.
6. The little boy who plays Hugo (Asa Butterfield) is such a sweet-faced, convincing little actor. He had me tearing up a few times. Think Freddie Highmore in Finding Neverland. GAH! Kills me.
7. Music by Howard Shore.
8. It keeps you guessing. I went into this movie not knowing what to expect and halfway through I still didn't  know what to expect. There are all these pieces that you know are supposed to fit together somehow (literally and figuratively), but you can't quite figure it out. 
9. Ben Kingsley plays the toy shop owner. And he's always great.
10. It's just a sweet and wonderful story. If you love movies in general or enjoy feeling nostalgic or ever feel nostalgic about movies you love, I think it's safe to say you will like this movie. A lot.

One of my favorite lines...

"I'd imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason." 

And who doesn't identify with that?