Hugo - (November 23, 2011): PG
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office: #5 with $11,364,505
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $26,823,770
Gross Revenue: $26,823,770
Production Budget: Approx. <$150 million
Director: Martin Scorsese
When GK films acquired the screen rights to the children’s novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” back in 2007, hopes for a cinematic blockbuster were very high, but rather than the book’s fan-base, the key draw for the adaptation was clearly the inclusion of Martin Scorsese. Now I know what you are thinking: “How does an Oscar-winning director whose name is synonymous with violence, corruption, and mafia-related thematic elements, decide to abandon his trademark subject matter and tackle a children’s film?” Despite this apparent mismatch, early trailers for Hugo seemed to promise a strong story filled with mystery (especially concerning that creepy little robot) and supported by a very strong cast, which included Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley and rising child star Chloë Grace Moretz, who has been growing in popularity ever since she gained notoriety as the foul-mouthed and notoriously violent Hit Girl from 2010’s Kick-Ass. Another noteworthy element involves the fact that this would be Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D, so with no benchmark to judge from, there was no guarantee that a director of Scorsese’s caliber would be able to aptly utilize a technology that audiences have largely grown tired of after sheer overuse. With no knowledge of the source material and as someone clearly outside of the target audience, it was out of sheer loyalty to my favorite director that I would see and review Hugo.
Set in a Paris train station in the 1930s, Hugo introduces audiences to young Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), an orphan who maintains the clocks in the station while stealing food to survive and dodging security, specifically the unforgiving Inspector Gustav (Sacha Baron Cohen). One day, Hugo gets caught stealing a toy from the shop of the bitter Papa Georges (Ben Kingsley), and in reparation, the boy is forced to work off his debt, in the process demonstrating considerable aptitude for mechanical engineering. It is revealed that Hugo is stealing parts to repair a broken automaton that he used to work on with his deceased father (Jude Law); the mechanical man is capable of writing, and Hugo believes that, upon completion, the automaton will reveal a hidden message passed down from his father. It so happens that a heart-shaped key is required to power the machine, and it turns out that a similar key belongs to Papa Georges’ goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), an adventurous young girl who quickly befriends the shy Hugo. Once the machine is activated, the automaton sketches a scene from a classic French film and signs the drawing with Papa Georges’ signature; understandably intrigued, the two young friends work to uncover the mystery and end up discovering a magical and tragic secret that has been hidden for years.
The pure mystery and ensuing curiosity of the story is easily the best part of Hugo, as it plays to a sense of innocence and adventure that many forget as they grow older…being returned to that mindset is immensely rewarding. The theme and feel of the film is only further enhanced by beautiful and downright elegant directing, with sweeping shots and character interactions breathing life into the train station itself, giving the setting a remarkable personality of its own. This achievement alone is enough to question why Scorsese has not ventured into family films before, as he is more than capable of producing an entertaining story without venturing into organized crime or historical biography. From an acting perspective, each of the cast members delivers a thoroughly enjoyable and distinct performance, the clear standouts being Ben Kingsley and Chloë Grace Moretz; Kingsley demonstrates his legendary acting range as his personality evolves over the course of the story, while Moretz is an endearing scene-stealer that you cannot help but love…she is on her way to a long and successful career. And there is no way I would have believed it beforehand, but the usage of 3D within Hugo is surprisingly strong, only enhancing the immersive quality of the story. Yet, in spite of all of these positive elements, there is just something about Hugo that does not quite click.
Billed as a family film, Hugo understandably targets young moviegoers, but the reality is that I do not believe that the themes and story can appeal to or connect with the children. It is difficult to explain, but I almost feel like you have to be older to truly appreciate the story of Hugo and how it is told…kids aren’t capable of fully understanding the film’s appeals and references to childhood curiosity, but it is something that the inner-child of older moviegoers will love. This opinion is further supported by the twist of focus in the narrative, which I found brilliant but might actually scare off or downright bore the younger generation; and, speaking of scaring, the aforementioned automaton is downright creepy, and the numerous close-up shots to establish the “mystery” are just uncomfortable. Something else that is disappointing as opposed to being an overt shortcoming is the usage of the talented supporting cast…Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law, Christopher Lee, and Helen McCrory, are welcome additions, but they are almost too talented for bit parts. All things considered though, if limited appeal and slightly off-center targeting represent the only weaknesses of Hugo, then that is a good day for Martin Scorsese.
Unfortunately, for as good as Hugo is, the film has come up far too short at the box office…beautiful setting and direction make it understandable that the film cost over $100 million to produce, but that’s not very forgivable when you are only able to generate around $27 million in ticket sales. As far as opening weekends go, Hugo was up against significant competition in the form of The Muppets and Arthur Christmas, so a fifth-place opening isn’t shocking, but as time goes on, it is going to get harder and harder to generate the necessary numbers. It almost seems like my perception regarding children relating to the more mature elements of Hugo is being demonstrated through the lack of box office boom, and that has to hurt for Hollywood power-players. Again, I want to emphasize how strong a film Hugo is, so please don’t regard its lack of performance as a testament to its quality. Plain and simple, Scorsese is still a brilliant director, and whether you are a fan of his or someone just looking for a beautiful testament to traditional storytelling, I guarantee that you will enjoy Hugo.
Overall Recommendation: High
