Based on the award-winning book The
Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film Hugo tells the tale of
an orphan who runs the clocks in the Paris train station. The boy Hugo is
obsessed with fixing an automaton (or robot), believing it will help him find a
message from his father. However, he encounters so much
more than this...
The film won five Academy Awards (as well
as a nomination for Best Picture) and was considered by many to be the best
family film of 2011. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Hugo stars
Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret, Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle, and Ben
Kingsley as Georges Méliès.
SUMMARY
It is the early 1930s, and a twelve-year-old boy
resides in hidden apartments located inside the Paris train station.
"Why?" you might ask. The boy, Hugo Cabret, attends to every clock in
the station. But that is not all: he also steals mechanical parts from a toy
booth.
One day, he is caught by the bitter booth owner, and
the man takes Hugo's notebook, refusing to return it. The toy-shop owner
questions Hugo as to the individual who drew the pictures in the notebook. Hugo
stubbornly will not answer, and the man calls for the Station Inspector. Hugo
flees to his apartment.
The audience then learns of Hugo's past: how he lived
with his father, became an orphan, and was adopted by his alcoholic Uncle
Claude. The boy is taught by his uncle how to care for the clocks of the Paris
train station. And here Hugo has remained day after day. However, he has been
working on a mysterious mechanical man which he and his father had attempted to
fix. This accounts for the stolen parts.
That night, Hugo follows the old toy-maker to his
home, and the door is slammed in his face. After inspecting the outside of the
building, Hugo sees a girl in one of the upstairs bedroom. He gets her
attention, and she comes down to speak with him. After hearing him out, she
agrees to keep an eye on his notebook.
The next day, Hugo goes to the toy-maker once again.
The old man informs the boy that he may have a chance at earning the notebook
back. Hugo must work in the shop to repay each and every part he stole. The
owner will decide "when, if ever" the notebook will be
returned.
Eventually, Hugo and the girl, named Isabelle, become
friends. The two soon make a shocking discovery that will light Hugo's way,
"all the way home."
CONTENT
Hugo is not really a violent film, having
little action, and just a few "chase" scenes. Still, there are two
scenes where a boy is nearly run over by a train (one is a dream, the other is
reality). Also, for younger children, there is a frightening (and frankly
strange) scene in which Hugo imagines himself turning into a mechanical boy. In
another brief scene, police find a dead man on the bank of a river. Still, this
is much more of a drama than an action film.
This film is actually almost completely clean of foul
language. There is one unfortunate, yet brief use of God's name, as well as a few minor insults. I was especially pleased
with this aspect of the film, save for the one word!
In two or three scenes, the Station Inspector speaks
with a police officer concerning sexual matters. It is vague enough for younger
kids to not understand, but teens and adults will grasp the meaning. The
officer mentions that his wife is pregnant, and the Inspector asks as to their
last "relations." When the officer says not within the past year, the
Inspector remarks that the wife's pregnancy is "suspicious." Also,
the Inspector tries to make conversation with the flower stall owner. After a
lapse of speaking, he mentions cows having "perfectly-formed udders."
There are a few brief scenes in which Hugo's Uncle
Claude drinks alcohol and smokes cigars, being put forward as an alcoholic.
All in all, I found Hugo to be a
delightfully wonderful movie. It is rare that I find a film which I enjoy as
much as the book that it was based on, and this is one such case. I even loved
the music, which fit right into the classic era of 1930's France. Being clean,
for the most part, it is a good movie for families, also including good lessons
in perseverance and friendship. I particularly enjoyed the message that we are
all here on this earth for a reason. Christians know an ultimate reason: the
glorification of Christ.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Length: 126 minutes
Rating: PG (for mild thematic material, some action/peril and
smoking)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Producers: Graham King, Timothy Headington, Martin Scorsese, Johnny
Depp
Music: Howard Shore
Year of release: 2011
Primary audience: Family, pre-teens, teens
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