Movie Review: Hugo (2011)

Hugo (2011)
127 minutes
Rated – PG
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloe Grace Moretz

Grade:  A-

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The word “magical” is the most important word that comes to mind when describing Martin Scorsese’s latest tale. Despite popular belief, Hugo is not a film that children will enjoy. It is a fantastic triumph in capturing imagination from a mature audience through the eyes of a young boy in search for answers. I’m not used to saying this at all but I must admit that the 3-D technology is fabulous in Hugo. If you do intend to see it, do yourself a favor and throw on those plastic glasses and go for the ride.

Based on a book from Brian Selznick, the story is set in early 1930s Paris where the young, orphaned Hugo (Butterfield) lives and works in a train station. He keeps maintaining the clocks so no one will suspect his drunken uncle to be missing and throw him in an orphanage. Hugo’s greatest passion is to fix a broken automaton that his passed father saved from the museum and hoped to repair. It is believed that the automaton can write and Hugo suspects it has a message from his father.

A piece to the mystery surrounding the automaton lies within Papa Georges (Kingsley), a toy shop owner who falls victim of Hugo’s thieving lifestyle. But when Hugo befriends his goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), the two children embark on their adventure.

Hugo is a very ambitious film from legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. It’s his first on the new medium, but don’t let the children-heavy, imaginative story fool you. This is a very deep and thoughtful film about the magic of films and how it affects those who share a deep love for it. Hugo is poetic and plays on several levels. It can be a brief history on the origin and breakthrough of movies, and it can serve as Scorsese expressing his own passion for films and how he’s breaking new ground with the 3-D technology. And let me just say where many have tried and failed with dark and blurry images, he hit a homerun on his first at-bat.

As for the leads, Butterfield didn’t give a spectacular performance, while Kingsley and Moretz were strong but nothing special. The real performance is Scorcese at the throne, reminding all of us that he is still the king of cinema. Hugo will make you recall the first movie you watched and the way it made you feel. Were you surprised that such emotion and joy could be captured on a reel being projected onto a screen? Did you instantly fall in love with the magic of movies? Did you create an imaginary bond with your favorite filmmakers throughout the years? I certainly have, and Hugo simply reminded me.

Movie Review: The Descendants (2011)

The Descendants (2011)
115 minutes
Rated – R
Directed by Alexander Payne
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley

Grade: A

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There is a deep satisfaction that I felt after watching The Descendants, Alexander Payne’s first film in years since the incredible Sideways. I laughed, I most certainly teared up (if I was watching the film solo, I definitely would’ve weeped quite a bit), and I became invested in the plot along with every character from the movie. This is the most complete film of the year by the way it works perfectly with the theme of imperfection.

George Clooney stars at Matt King, father of two, husband to a wife in a coma from a boating accident, lawyer, and the sole trustee of 25,000 acres of prime land on the island of Kaua’i. There is a huge monetary benefit to the entire family if the land is sold, but King has bigger fish to fry. This includes telling his rebellious, teen daughter Alexandra (Woodley) and younger daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) that their mother isn’t going to wake up from her coma. As if that wasn’t hard enough to begin with, Alexandra brings another plot point to her dad’s attention: that her mom was having an affair with another man before her accident.

This film is layered with doses of reality and consists of characters that you can relate to. One thing is for sure, you certainly feel for Matt King and really root for the hero of the film during his darkest hours. Whether he finds himself frustrated with his daughters, under attack from his step-father, or spitting out words of anguish towards his comatose wife, Matt King is the center of the film and takes every inch given to him in stride. Payne has always had an excellent eye for detail in what drives characters to and from each other and his attention to detail in The Descendants doesn’t disappoint.

George Clooney really shows off his acting chops as the struggling father and Shailene Woodley surprises as his oldest daughter. The two make up for many compelling interactions and conversations throughout the film that results in some of the most touching moments of the year. Even in a movie with such serious and tragic themes, there are plenty of smiles and humor along their journey, especially Alexandra’s surfer-dude friend, Sid.

There was a point in the film when I thought that there was just too much being piled up against Matt King, but after I thought about it, this is exactly the sort of thing that happens in everyday life. Life throws you a curveball, and then another, and before you know it you’re underneath an avalanche about to cave in. The single thing that helps the most during these situations are the people who surround you, your friends and family.

Also, Matt King isn’t a bad guy, but he’s merely human, just like everyone else in the film. We all make mistakes, but what really defines you is how you deal with the mistakes. King has to prepare himself for a world without his wife, and at the same time mend his relationship with his distant daughters, deal with his demanding cousins and gain closure from his wife’s affair. In the end, Matt King deserves the title of “hero.”