HUGO unlocks the hearts of all who love the movies with a key forged by grand illusionist Martin Scorsese. The film beckons audiences into a world of wonder through the eyes of a young hero, a world alive in new ways through Robert Richardson’s resplendent use of 3D. This dazzling adventure is also a meditation on life and loss, deeply rooted in the powerful role movies play in our reality. With a proper tip of the beret to early pioneers Harold Lloyd and George Méliès, we are reminded that each film is a gift, and that when the masters intone, ‘Come dream with me,’ through the magic of the movies, we do.”
A masterpiece. Bursting with emotion and exquisitely inhabited by Asa Butterfield and the rest of the cast, this beautiful film is a mechanism that comes to life at the turn of a key in the shape of a heart.”
★★★★
HUGO is unlike any other film Martin Scorsese has ever made, and yet possibly the closest to his heart. Scorsese uses 3D here as it should be used, not as a gimmick but as an enhancement of the total effect.”
HUGO is one of the most wondrous cinematic adventures of the 21st century. What makes it even more magical is that this is Martin Scorsese’s love letter to the films of a century ago. This is a movie that reminds us why movies are the dominant art form of our time. It is a movie that loves movies. It is a film with wonderful source material from Brian Selznick, masterful direction from one of the all-time greats, and pitch-perfect performances from actors of all ages. I give it an A+.”
An enchantment. It’s serious, beautiful, wise to the absurdity of life and in the embrace of a piercing longing.”
The emotional pull of the story is irresistible: the boy needs a family, the illustrious filmmaker needs to regain his past, and a love of movies brings them together. HUGO is superbly playful.”
HUGO is rapturously beautiful. It will take your breath away. It truly is the stuff that dreams are made of. In Scorsese’s hands, 3D becomes an art. With the help of the gifted cinematographer Robert Richardson and editor supreme Thelma Schoonmaker, Scorsese sweeps us headlong into the action. A spectacular adventure for film lovers of all ages.”
Scorsese shot this film in 3D and has taken a technology that is too often employed but rarely used well and put it to its best use. Then again, if a master filmmaker like Scorsese can’t use the technique brilliantly, who can? What he creates is a wondrous blend of fantasy and mystery that will appeal to adults as well as children.”
I have seen the future of 3D moviemaking, and it belongs to Martin Scorsese. HUGO is an absolutely magical film. Instead of sticking with the familiar, Scorsese has followed his impulses into something that feels entirely new but is still distinctively his. He has made a potential holiday classic, an exciting, comic and sentimental melodrama that will satisfy children and adults alike and reward repeat viewings for many years to come.”
HUGO, Martin Scorsese’s delightful new film, is many things—an artist’s experiment with a new medium and genre, a story full of adventure and innocent delight. But mostly it’s a gentle love letter to the movies and their pioneers. It’s about Scorsese rediscovering his love of filmmaking, through the added magic of 3D…he uses it the way few filmmakers have.”
A masterpiece from Martin Scorsese. HUGO is not only a great family film, it’s a great film, period. Magical, imaginative and wonderful. One of the year’s best movies. You will be transported in eye-popping ways you won’t believe. The best use of 3D in any film ever and that includes AVATAR.”
Easily one of 2011’s best films, Martin Scorsese’s HUGO is a lyrical dream, a film that pays homage to what is so transformative about cinema—its possibilities, its power, and its magic.”
HUGO overflows with allusions, both cinematic and literary, reflecting the combined passions of Scorsese and writer John Logan, whose screenplay feels as alive with love for words as Scorsese is passionate about pictures.”
Fiercely romantic and inspiringly passionate. Immaculately crafted from Dante Ferretti’s jaw-dropping production design to Robert Richardson’s dazzling fluid master shots and foray into 3D to Sandy Powell’s precise-as-always costume design to the complex visual effects work on the piece. The film creates a world and transports you there effortlessly.”
A feast for any movie lover.”
HUGO is a big shiny ball of imagination, invention and cinematic wonder. Anybody who loves movies needs to see it.”
A work of great imagination indeed.”
