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Brief Hugo Cabret review
Dec. 22nd, 2011 01:25 amSuch a beautiful film. Scorsese really makes a lot with 3D (the opening shot is particularly spectacular). The Paris train station setting, the roaring 20s... it looks magnificent; if you loved Amélie Poulain, it has a similar kind of charm, but on steroids.
Too bad the script is so bland. Typical Hollywood emotional smut, no depth, full of cheap ohhs! and ahhs!, contrived plot turns with plenty of holes. All the money goes into the effects and none into the story. It's not like they can't afford it... We've seen with the Shrek series that you can make a decent Hollywood kids' movie that adults can enjoy.
Actors... The kids are mostly unbearable. Too cute; Chloë Moretz as Isabelle is irritating. Ben Kingsley puts in a good performance that makes the film bearable. Helen McCrory is good too, if a little over-affected, but she's loveable. Christopher Lee appears briefly but he's the most gorgeous character in a film that has many. Sacha Baron Cohen plays his stupid clownish role decently. But what a waste of talent.
The final black and white sequence is a really nice wink. It's the crowning moment of this love letter to silent cinema, except that we missed most of the letter itself throughout the film.
This is no family movie; it's a movie for children. Scorsese could do better. 2.5/5
Too bad the script is so bland. Typical Hollywood emotional smut, no depth, full of cheap ohhs! and ahhs!, contrived plot turns with plenty of holes. All the money goes into the effects and none into the story. It's not like they can't afford it... We've seen with the Shrek series that you can make a decent Hollywood kids' movie that adults can enjoy.
Actors... The kids are mostly unbearable. Too cute; Chloë Moretz as Isabelle is irritating. Ben Kingsley puts in a good performance that makes the film bearable. Helen McCrory is good too, if a little over-affected, but she's loveable. Christopher Lee appears briefly but he's the most gorgeous character in a film that has many. Sacha Baron Cohen plays his stupid clownish role decently. But what a waste of talent.
The final black and white sequence is a really nice wink. It's the crowning moment of this love letter to silent cinema, except that we missed most of the letter itself throughout the film.
This is no family movie; it's a movie for children. Scorsese could do better. 2.5/5
