Hugo (2011)
4 out of 5 stars
Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects
I squeeed with delight when I got the e-mail from Netflix on Monday afternoon that they were shipping me the BluRay of Hugo. I really thought I would be forcing myself to watch the remake of Conan the Barbarian (starring Jason Momoa of Stargate: Atlantis fame). Since Hugo wasn’t slated for release to the public until Tuesday, I was very pleasantly surprised when Netflix opted to send it to me the day before the official release date (although I didn’t actually receive it until Tuesday, so perhaps that makes it okay).
I got home from work a few minutes early to find Terry concocting a new pasta dish with butternut squash and broccoli. He already had an appetizer in the oven so I removed myself to the great room to do some exercising while dinner finished cooking. I wanted to make sure that my evening was completely free of obstructions so Terry and I could watch Hugo in peace. I even remembered to feed the dogs.
I enjoyed Hugo and especially the story of Georges Méliès, excellently portrayed by Ben Kingsley. I knew of Méliès’ famous film (often billed as one of the first science fiction films) Le Voyage dans la lune (or A Trip to the Moon for us English speaking blokes). But Hugo exhibited more steampunk and fantasy elements than true science fiction, being based in a 1930s Paris railroad station. I would really categorize this as a historical fiction piece, since most of the information on Méliès is accurately portrayed. I did love seeing Christopher Lee again, albeit in a cameo-esque role as the bookshop owner. Terry remarked after the movie that he recognized the actor portraying the Station Inspector (played by Sacha Baron Cohen of Borat fame – ugh).
Now that I have seen all of this year’s Nebula Nominations for the Bradbury Award, I can make my selection for what I think the best of the lot. But not in this post.
I don’t want to detract from the magic that is Hugo. I highly recommend you watch this film. You won’t be disappointed.
