IT’S BEEN A WHILE!” Those are the only words of that song that I know. Thankfully that song exists on another plane where it’s normal not to know all the words and weird if you do. If you do know all words, I don’t think you’re weird. I consider you positively unique.
In my opinion, there’s a movie that exists on the same plane as “It’s Been A While,” by Staind. That movie is the 2011 Martin Scorsese masterpiece, “Hugo.” Despite being nominated for 11 Oscars, including best picture, (which was the most of any movie that year and did win five categories) “Hugo” was a commercial failure in terms of budget and is not talked about in many cinematic circles anymore. As an adaptation of “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick, a phenomenal children’s novel, and as a film, I believe “Hugo” deserves more recognition. Since its release, “Hugo” has been one of my favorite films and in this review, you’ll find out why. I will also continue to keep my title of “The Laziest Movie Reviewer of Our Time,” because all I do is just re-watch the same movies and series. Have you learned to expect anything different? I’m sorry if you have.
Fading up from black, the first thing we see is the turning gold gears of a machine. The gears, which show no signs of stopping in their existential movement, fades into a fast motion shot of the night traffic of the Arc de Triomphe. The camera pans over to the Gare Montparnasse, one of the largest train stations in the 14th and 15th arrondissements of Paris (and that is a historical fact!). The camera moves through the front doors, through passengers boarding trains, and shops until we end on the face of the station’s largest clock and in the face, we see another face. Looking out from the hour four slot, is our titular character, Hugo.
At this point, the art direction makes you realize that we’ve entered another time. This movie takes place in the 1930s and you can see this in the early steam engine models and the clothes of the wealthy passengers.
Hugo watches the shop owners interact with a sense of familiarity, but also with a sense of wonder. From this short sequence of shots, we can tell Hugo exists on the outside of this provincial life. In his enjoyment, the inspector with his fear-inducing Dobermann walk into view. Hugo leaves his post and maneuvers through the walls of the train station in one continuous shot (Ugh!! It’s so good!!!). He stops in, what we can assume, is another favorite spot where he can view the whole of Paris. Cue title card! What ensues is the tale of how one boy can affect change in a whole community and change the course of history.
If you love film history and old movies, and by that, I mean the first movies from the late 1800s, you will love “Hugo.” It is a love letter to the films of Georges Méliès, who is played by Sir Ben Kingsley himself. Speaking of the actors, I consider these my favorite performances by main cast members Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz and Sir Ben Kingsley, too (No, I have not seen “Gandhi” yet, I promise I will).
This movie sticks in your brain both visually and audibly. Fourteen-year-old me would’ve fought the Academy had “Hugo” not won the Oscars that it did which are both for visual and audible elements (Cinematography, Visual Effects, Art Direction, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing). Nothing in the frame is there without meaning. I have an off memory, but even after a year since my last viewing of this film, I remembered how the key would ring when touched before it happened. I remembered how it would cut to a close-up of Hugo’s eye when he’s being chased by the inspector and how the dog’s bark echoes in the distance.
Despite having seen this movie multiple times, I did discover something new in this revisit. I’d always been in awe of how the blue tones of “Hugo” are so dreamlike, but I’ve never noticed how it’s contrasted against so much gold! The gold tones in “Hugo” are closer to orange than yellow, which plays into color theory. Orange and blue are complementary colors and when the colors are contrasted at a similar level, the colors appear to be in motion, called color vibration, and this adds to the dreamlike nature of “Hugo’s” visuals. Aside from this, “Hugo” has a transition of colors. The beginning of the movie begins in blue and gold and throughout the movie, eventually transitions to a strict palette of black, white, red and silver. This is solidified by the final shot of the film, which I will not spoil but know, it’s adorable.
All in all, I am a firm believer that “Hugo” has set a gold standard for film and would provide a nice break from your studies should you choose to watch it.
Rating: 10/10
