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Arts & Entertainment

No Gimmicks Here: 'Hugo' Must-See in 3D

Martin Scorsese's visually stunning fantasy is guaranteed to enchant movie buffs of all ages.

Like any tool in a filmmaker’s arsenal, 3D is not interesting merely on its own terms. It takes the imagination and craftsmanship of a true artist to make pop-out visuals rise above the level of mere gimmickry. Thanks to the combined efforts of master filmmaker Martin Scorsese and veteran cinematographer Robert Richardson, Hugo is undoubtedly the best-looking live action film I’ve ever seen in three dimensions.

Instead of using the extra depth to simply ricochet objects off viewers’ heads, Scorsese surrounds and immerses the audience in the snow-covered beauty of 1930's Paris, while externalizing the awe felt by two young protagonists as they become swept up by the magic of cinema. To categorize Hugo as a children’s film would be a grave error, even though Brian Selznick’s book (upon which screenwriter John Logan based his screenplay) has many young admirers. This is a deeply personal passion project for Scorsese, and its appeal will only be enhanced by one’s own investment in the history of film.

Aside from a few slapstick pratfalls, Hugo is far from cuddly family entertainment. The titular hero (Asa Butterfield) is an orphan who hides out in a train station while dodging the suspicious glare of the station inspector (played by “Borat” himself, Sacha Baron Cohen). His late father (Jude Law) was a clockmaker whose dreams of creating a fully functional “automaton” (a.k.a. mechanical man) remain unrealized. When Hugo befriends a girl, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), he discovers that she may possess the key to unlocking the mystery of his father’s invention. What they ultimately end up uncovering is the secret of her embittered grandfather’s past.

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Film scholars will quickly recognize the old man as Georges Méliès, one of the first great geniuses of the art form, whose playfully exuberant effects in films such as A Trip to the Moon still possess the ability to captivate moviegoers. Méliès is played by Ben Kingsley, whose heartbreaking performance should not be forgotten during this year’s awards season. There are times when one wonders why Scorsese didn’t just make a film about Méliès himself and abandon Selznick’s story entirely, yet the filmmaker has clearly expressed in interviews that he desired to finally make a film that his children would enjoy.

Whether or not kids will embrace this picture remains to be seen. Scorsese is aiming for a more whimsical variation on David Lean’s adaptations of Dickens classics, where pint-sized lads found themselves thrust into a harsh world of adults indifferent to their suffering. Butterfield’s hypnotically clear-eyed face is enormously expressive and consistently anchors the film in an emotional reality that never wavers. As a kid who grew up with soulful family dramas like The Secret Garden, I know for a fact there is a certain type of child that would respond to this film in a big way. 

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What the film ultimately lacks is a compelling narrative. Once Méliès’ identity is revealed, Scorsese’s agenda to educate children about the vitality of film preservation ends up overtaking Hugo’s central plot line. This is both a hindrance and a blessing, since the film’s extensive flashbacks into Méliès’ past include some remarkable recreations of the legendary director’s film sets, as well as some luminous clips from his work, which are all the more awe-inspiring when viewed in 3D. In many ways, Hugo is just as much of a tribute to the vitality of cinema as Scorsese’s last feature, Shutter Island, which referenced various filmmakers through its assortment of stylistic homage's. 

Though Hugo’s script occasionally falters, the film triumphs as a visual experience of the highest order. Scorsese and Richardson somehow manage to make the power of cinema feel exhilaratingly fresh when viewed through the eyes of its heroes. There’s a memorable moment when Scorsese recounts the popular myth of the 1895 short subject, The Arrival of a Train at La Coitat, which reportedly caused audiences to leap from their chairs as the train reached the screen. It’s an amusing tale, but also rather poignant, since Hugo has the potential to elicit similar responses from its audience. When Cohen’s threatening face slowly closes in on the action during a key close up, it causes the heads of viewers to sink back into their chairs. Méliès would’ve been proud.

Also in theatres -

While no new mainstream film went into wide release this past Friday, a major Oscar contender went into limited release and should be considered must-see viewing for adult cinephiles. The NC-17-rated drama Shame re-teams director Steve McQueen and actor Michael Fassbender, who previously collaborated in 2008’s Hunger, a visionary portrait of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Shame is every bit as spellbinding as it follows a self-loathing sex addict (played by Fassbender) whose daily routine is abruptly interrupted by the sudden arrival of his sister (Carey Mulligan). Fassbender delivers one of the year’s most galvanizing performances, while McQueen solidifies his status as one of the world’s most exciting filmmakers. Missing this masterpiece would a darn 'shame.'

Hugo opened Nov. 23 at the AMC Showplace Village Crossing 18, Regal Gardens 1-6 and Regal Gardens 7-13 in Skokie. It opened at number 5 behind The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The Muppets, Happy Feet Two and Arthur Christmas, and brought its total to $19.5 million by the following Friday, according to Box Office Mojo. It is rated PG.

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