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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Hugo (the movie)

Sometime ago I saw previews for this movie and it caught my eye with its emphasis on clocks (which have always fascinated me) and its curca-1800's appeal. I found the dvd in my library the other day and decided to try it out.

I am not going to rate this movie on a scale of how many stars out of five. In this case, I believe it would be ineffective.

From an artistic standpoint this movie is sometimes lovely and sometimes unfinished. Perhaps this is purposeful, as much of the story revolves around the son of a clockmaker who learns that people can be fixed, too, not just machines.

The story is slow... indeed it is very slow in many places. If you enjoy an action-packed film then you will most likely hate this one. However, if you appreciate an examination of humanity from the unique perspective of the early days of motion pictures, this may just be your ticket to a rewarding piece of entertainment.

Humor in this film is odd, I could say very odd, with moments that are obviously meant to be funny not seeming funny at all. However, the connection between the boy Hugo and the shiny little automaton that his father left him, is quite heartwarming.

I come away from this movie mulling over its many facets and wondering if they all came together, or if the film's producers just didn't know that they needed to abridge it in order to make it shine. All in all, a good one-time-view, but I will not be buying it.

2 comments:

R.P.H said...

Nice to know :-) I've heard mixed reviews... more really good ones though.

It was in theaters for months. I'm not one for popular things, but it had me wondering.

My sister just recently rented it. I'll let my fam know what you said... slow... not one to watch when you are tired ;-)

Enjoy your post. (I'll try to leave a comment more)

Have a blessed day.
In His Grace,
~Ryan Paige Howard (Ryanheart)

Nathan R. Petrie said...

I agree with this review. I read the book before I watched the movie because my school skyped the author for a "career" day of sorts. The book was interesting and worth reading because of the way it was written: half in pictures, half in words.

Did you ever read the Children's book Tuesday? Half of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" is told like Tuesday and the rest is told like a normal book. At the end, the book is revealed to be the product of an automatan that Hugo himself made later in his life, and this twist really made the book interesting.

Was the story exciting? No. Would I recomend it to anyone? No.

For me, the story ended up being a history lesson...and that's not what I was looking for.

But yes, I enjoyed it...though much was missing.

WELCOME TO THE WRITING SITE OF SCOTT APPLETON

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." -Proverbs 16:24

In a world where morality is forsaken and Christ neglected, wholesome books are uncommon. The themes of my writing are love, self-sacrifice, and honor.

I see my generation turning from God to the gods of this world. I see homes torn apart in the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification. Children are murdered by the millions every year . . . without ever seeing the world outside their mothers' wombs. Through fiction I strive to encourage those who are willing, to stand against these things and be heroes and heroines; chivalrous, gentle, full of righteous indignation, and the fear and love of their Creator.