HUGO - A Children's Story for Everyone

Needless to say, I am beyond impressed with this film. I am astounded! When I first heard about this film, and watched the trailer, the story seemed enigmatically intriguing, but it seemed to have several things going against it to begin with: First, it was a film made and packaged for a "3D experience". This is never a good place for a film to start off when persuading me to buy a ticket. From what I've seen of movies made for 3D, they are generally "gimicky" in nature and lack the depth of storytelling needed for a good movie due to them relying on the technology to draw the masses. The other issue it had was that it was directed by Martin Scorsese. Scorsese directing a children's story? Keep in mind that this is the man our professor stopped having a dialogue with due the grotesque nature of his recent films. So yeah, needless to say, I was very skeptical walking into the movie theatre.

But what unfolded before me on the big screen, was a magical experience filled with depth, beauty, and imagination beyond what is usually expected out of big-budget films these days. The story is wonderful tale about a boy trying to fix something and find purpose in his life, and in the process, he in many ways "fixes" and gives purpose to the characters that are closest to him. This wrapped together with tying in not only the theme of time and place, but you also get to taken into a dream world of film history grounded in magical realism. What is "magical realism" you may ask? I'm sure I'm not the most qualified to answer that, but if I had to define it, it's a film grounded in reality, with elements of magic or the supernatural that the world accepts as reality. And this film definitely has those moments and they are beautiful to say the least!

Overall, Scorsese will take you on a mystical journey filled with dreams and purpose. In short, this is one of the few films that have an excess of rescources available to make it, yet still maintains the integrity of a beautiful story. It truly proves the point that Lewis makes about a children's movie needing to relate to all ages. I suggest you all go out and see it, you will not regret it.


'Nough Said,
~Miles


p.s. Professor Leeper, if there is a film to start having a dialogue with Scorsese again, this is the one!