Hugo (2011)

          Essential plot rundown: Boy tries to learn secret left behind by his father but discovers a lot more in the process. So, when I first saw the trailer for this, I thought Oh, another movie where the kid tries to find closure through some object left behind by their parents. While in part that, Hugo is also part cherishing your dreams and movie history. Had I known it featured one of the most important filmmakers ever, I would have saw it a long time ago.

          The beginning of the film felt a little slow; but then it picked up. It had an interesting story. It kind of reminded me of Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close. (*Possible spoilers in the next sentence: they both revolve around a boy, searching to reconnect to their deceased father, but instead, help another character come to terms with something they are dealing with.) It also gives some history on Georges Méliès. And now I'm really curious as to how much is true and how much is creative license.  (Cuz the part about the shoes really frustrated me).  I'm going to have to do some research.

          I thought the actors all did a good except, except Sacha Baron Cohen.  This is the first movie of his I've seen but there was just something about him/his character that threw me off.  I think he was just a little too over the top, but I'm not sure.  There was just something that irked me about him.

          This is a really aesthetically pleasing film. Since this film involves the earliest moments in cinema history, there are some really cool shots of the old school, silent film sets. It was cool to see that part of the past remade in our day. And, because Hugo spends a lot of his time running the clocks, there are beautiful shots of the gears and sprockets and what not.

          And this where the 3D really stands out. (Actually it's really good throughout the entire movie, but more so with the clockwork). The 3D really brought the machinery to life. And like I said, overall the 3D is excellent. There are only a few moments where objects come out at you; most of the 3D is used to add depth to the film, to bring the audience into their world.

          I really liked the ending when they are in the theatre.  Georges Méliès is addressing a crowd and says:  "My friends, I address you all tonight as you truly are; wizards, mermaids, travelers, adventurers, magicians... Come and dream with me."  And for me, it was a powerful/emotional scene.  It really romanticizes filmmaking.  I just love movies so anything like that gets to me pretty easily.

          So, overall, this is an excellent movie.  The story, cinematography, and 3D all were good.  While there were a few things that bothered, no film is perfect.  I would recommend it to anyone.  And this is the time of movie that really makes me consider investing in a 3D TV.

     But that's just my opinion...