'Hugo' - Martin Scorsese Redeems 3D

Maybe it was Martin Scorsese's desire to utilize the 3D format that kept me from seeing "Hugo" on the first day of its release. 2011 saw 3D get a public beating as audiences became convinced it existed as an excuse for movie studios to jack up ticket prices. But to watch "Hugo" is to be reminded of how amazing 3D can be when using the right tools and not just throwing cheap gimmicks at the audience. But moreover, it is backed up by a great story and remarkable performances as Scorsese shares his love of all things cinema with us.

Seriously, the first five minutes of "Hugo" will blow you away as you feel like you're traveling over 1930s Paris. The snow looks like it is literally blowing in your eyes, and it reminded me of when kids were grasping at the snowflakes coming from the screen at the beginning of "The Polar Express." Scorsese was lucky enough to use the same Fusion Camera System James Cameron used to superb effect with "Avatar." The images stretch out from the screen, and that extra dimension gives the visuals a depth that at times feels frighteningly real.

Based on the novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick, Asa Butterfield stars as Hugo, a young boy who lives alone in a Paris railway station while maintaining the clocks and stealing whatever he needs to survive. One major obstacle he has to deal with is Inspector Gustav (Sacha Baron Cohen) who patrols around the station with his vicious looking dog. Gustav shows no hesitation in picking up orphans and sending straight to the orphanage which in the kids' eyes seems like an unforgiving house of terrors.

Two people come to play an important role in Hugo's life: the toy shop owner Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley), and his spirited goddaughter Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz). As Hugo continues to work on fixing an automaton he and his father (Jude Law) were putting back together in working order when he was tragically killed in a museum fire. It's this same automaton that will draw these three together in ways they could not have imagined.

By taking us back to a time where movies were more or less in their infancy, effects we now see as cheesy and simple to create feel as magical as they did when first shown. Scorsese is brilliant in putting us into these characters' shoes as we watch audiences react strongly to a film with train which looks like it's coming straight at them, and at Buster Keaton hanging on for dear life from a clock outside a tall building. Looking at the awe which is so vivid in the children's faces reminds us of how movies can magically draw us in to another world, and that's a feeling most movies don't give us today. In this day and age, we take the power of motion pictures for granted.

I'm not familiar with Butterfield's work as an actor (he's best known for "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas"), but his performance here is remarkable. Showing the pain and resourcefulness of a young boy who's lost his parents and has to fend for himself is no easy task, and he ends up giving one of 2011's most underrated performances. Butterfield inhabits the character of Hugo so deeply that after a while it doesn't feel like we are watching a performance at all.

Kudos also goes to Moretz, the star of "Kick Ass" and "Let Me In," for adding yet another superb role to her already splendid resume. As the adventurous Isabelle, she even gives off a flawless English accent which is worth noting as we have gotten so used to actors screwing them up. The warmth of her smile onscreen is utterly genuine, and she lights up "Hugo" whenever it gets a little too dark.

There are other great performances to be found in "Hugo" as well; Ben Kingsley is fantastic as usual as Georges Méliès, and Christopher Lee has some wonderful moments as bookshop owner Monsieur Labisse. One of the big standouts in the supporting cast though is Sacha Baron Cohen who takes a break here from his "Borat" and "Bruno" mockumentaries as Inspector Gustav. He's a hoot throughout, and his interactions with infinitely lovely Emily Mortimer ("Lars and the Real Girl") are hilariously sweet.

Scorsese has put together a truly beautiful motion picture which deserves a bigger audience than it has received thus far. The fact that more people went to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" than this is depressing. A lot of moviegoers truly hate 3D right now, so that didn't do this movie any favors. But after watching it you will find yourself believing it might be worth it to keep that extra dimension around for a little while longer.

* * * * out of * * * *

Other articles by Ben Kenber:

"GoodFellas": My All Time Favorite Movie

"Taxi Driver" Forever Changed the Way I Saw Movies

"Shine a Light" - The Martin Scorsese/Rolling Stones Concert Movie