PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (1953) revisited

January 14, 2012

 Greetings again from the darkness. Thanks to The Dallas Film Society and movie critic Chris Vognar, we were lucky enough to watch this on the big screen from a 35mm print! If you enjoy the pulp thrillers from the 1950’s, this is one you must track down. For a little 80 minute B-movie, it packs a wallup for interesting discussion points.

Directed by Samuel Fuller (The Big Red One,1980), we get a real taste of his “man’s man” approach. Not only was Fuller a well-known war correspondent, he also served in WWII, including Omaha Beach on D-Day. This movie provided him with a stellar cast: Richard Widmark as Skip, Jean Peters as Candy, Thelma Ritter as Moe, and Richard Kiley as Joey. It is a story of the times and begins when a small-time pickpocket Skip, works his magic fingers on Candy’s purse while they are facing each other on the subway.

 The real fun begins as we watch the police, the feds and the communists all trying to hunt down Skip. The reason? He unknowingly stole top secret US information that was being passed to the commies. This film noir has some really tough elements. Heck, Skip even punches Candy right in the jaw! The lighting, score and fight scenes are all no-nonsense and direct. It’s really fun to watch the eye movements of the key players. It’s obvious none of the characters are comfortable in the situation, no matter how smooth they try to be.

The great Thelma Ritter runs off with each of her scenes. She plays Moe, the local stool pigeon who plays everyone for a buck. Ms. Ritter was nominated for an Oscar for her role (one of four in a row for her), but it was another in her long line of 6 nominations and no wins. This may be her best work. Another of my all time favorite character actors makes a brief appearance as one of the commies: Willis Bouchey. And don’t miss Milburn Stone as a detective. Mr. Stone would go on to star as Doc on “Gunsmoke” for twenty years.

 The film features some terrific lines. One of my favorites is “Everybody likes everybody when they’re kissing.” Another is “I would rather have a live pickpocket than a dead traitor.” Fun stuff. Should also mention that Jean Peters (pictured in a scene from this movie) went on to become the wife of Howard Hughes and her acting days abruptly ended. After their divorce, she made a couple of TV appearances, but was unable to recapture the magic of these early years. Should also note that this film was re-made (weakly) in 1969 as The Cape Town Affair.

*note – I couldn’t find the original trailer or a clip that didn’t give away the ending.

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE MECHANIC (2011)

December 26, 2011

(Video review)

 Greetings again from the darkness. This one delivers everything we have come to expect from a Jason Statham movie … plenty of action, fight scenes, gun play, and a man wronged by the system and on a mission for vengeance. It is a remake of the 1972 film starring Charles Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent, and written by Lewis John Carlino.

As in the original, a master hit-man (Statham) takes an apprentice under his wing. Here, it’s played by Ben Foster, who was so good in 3:10 to Yuma. Foster brings energy and intensity to his role, and a playfulness that Statham’s character doesn’t always appreciate. The two have pretty good chemistry, but face it, the only real reason to watch this movie is for action scenes and violence.

Donald Sutherland has a fairly brief role as Statham’s mentor and the film definitely misses him once he’s gone. The bad guy is played by Tony Goldwyn, who just doesn’t have the screen presence to play a big time baddie. Goldwyn is an excellent TV director and seems much better suited behind the camera. He has been typecast as the bad guy ever since Ghost and his presence often evokes groans from the audience.

The director is Simon West.  His best film is from 1997 … Con Air.  No surprises in this one, which is fine. With Statham movies … we want what we expect. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

December 23, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Not that I am hoping for marital strife, but I like it when Steven Spielberg wants to get out of the house, especially when he joins forces with Peter Jackson (serving here as Producer). This year he has delivered awards contender War Horse and this crowd pleasing motion-capture animation film (also) for the whole family. If you are unfamiliar with Tintin, it is a long-running, extremely popular European comic series by Herge’, who passed away in 1983.  This is Planes, Trains and Automobiles … plus Ships, Rowboats, Motorcycles, Zip lines and just about every other form of transportation that comes to mind.

Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) is an investigative newspaper reporter who looks 14, but clearly isn’t. He lives on his own, travels the world and is treated as an adult by those with whom he crosses paths. There is an early scene where Tintin is sitting for a local artist and the resulting portrait is an exact replica of his simple look in the comic series. Tintin has a trusty sidekick … his genius little dog, Snowy. Together they go on adventures that Indiana Jones can only dream about! This particular story focuses on the hunt for the lost Haddock family treasure. Tintin literally stumbles into the drunken sea Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) who is more concerned with his next swig of whiskey than the the fact that he has been kidnapped by the bad guy Rackham/Sakharine (Daniel Craig). This bad guy has unlocked the mystery location of all the clues to the lost treasure and needs Captain Haddock for the final step. Unfortunately for him, Tintin and Snowy get in the way and try their darndest to stop him.

 The action sequences are amongst the most exciting and thrill-packed that you will ever see. They look like “Jonny Quest” on steroids. The story is quite convoluted and complicated, and small kids will be totally lost on exactly WHY the characters do what they do. But it won’t much matter, because the visuals of each scene are captivating. There are even a couple of Interpol agents on the trail … Thompson and Thomson (voiced by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, respectively).  Expect many site gags tossed in to offset the breakneck pace of the globe-trotting adventures.

 Spielberg has always done nice work when he can go after a kid’s imagination – even big kids like me. The look of this movie is pretty amazing, especially when compared to 2004’s The Polar Express. If you doubt how far technology has come, look at these two side by side.  Many of the characters here are as close to lifelike as we have seen – check out the skin and facial contours of Captain Haddock and Sackharine.  Wow.  Herge’ creation is given script work here by Steven Moffatt, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. The great John Williams provides the score. This is one you can bring the kids to and all will enjoy.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are fan of animated family fun with loads of action OR you just want to see how far motion-capture technology has come

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: to you, Indiana Jones is the be all and end all of action heroes in the movies OR you refuse to get props to anything with French origins 

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011)

December 21, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. The character of Lisbeth Salander absolutely fascinates me. That’s true whether we are discussing Stieg Larsson‘s Millennium trilogy novels, the Swedish film versions, or this latest film version from director David Fincher (The Social Network) and a screenplay from Steve Zaillian. It’s also true whether Lisbeth is played on screen by Noomi Rapace (Swedish films) or Rooney Mara. She is a brilliant character hiding in plain sight from a world that has fiercely mistreated her, and now misjudges and underestimates her. She is the oddest heroine I can recall … and I can’t get enough of her.

 Let’s start with the source material. Stieg Larsson’s books are far from perfect, but addictive just the same. The first book (on which this film is based) is, at its core, a traditional who-dunnit presented in a manner that is claustrophobic, paranoid and eerie. Moving on to this particular film, we find the director and screenplay holding the basic tone of the book and original films, while making a few changes … some minor, others more substantial. These changes may irk those fervent fans who are quite loyal to the books, but Fincher surely wanted to offer more than a simple re-telling of the story.

 Daniel Craig plays Mikael Blomkvist, the journalist hired to solve the 40 year old mystery of the disappearance/murder of Harriet Vanger, niece to Swedish millionaire Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer). To research, Blomkvist must dig into the Vanger’s rotten family tree of Nazis, anti-Semites, sexual predators, anti-social fanatics, and a few just plain loony birds. You can imagine how excited this rich and once powerful family is to have someone uncovering long buried secrets. Circumstances allow for Lisbeth to assist Blomkvist in researching this.

 Unlike many mysteries where assembling the clues is the most fun, the real heart of this story is the odd, somewhat uncomfortable developing relationship between Blomkvist and Lisbeth. This latest version allows this to develop relatively smoothly, but it nonetheless rattles our senses. We see the subtle changes in Lisbeth as she slowly opens up to the idea of a real friendship based on trust. Fear not mystery fans, the Vanger clan still provides more than enough juice to keep any film sleuth happy.

COMPARISON: It’s truly impossible to avoid comparisons between the two movie versions and the respective casts. It’s quite obvious Mr. Fincher was working with a substantially greater budget than Niels Arden Opler had for the first Swedish film. While they are both enthralling, I actually lean a bit towards the rawer original. That takes nothing away from this latest version. Same with Noomi Rapace vs. Rooney Mara. Ms. Mara is excellent in her performance and I was fully satisfied, though Ms. Rapace brought a rougher edge to the role … one that made it even tougher to crack that shell. The biggest difference in the casts is Daniel Craig against Michael Nyqvist. Mr. Craig is just a bit too cool for the role, while Nyqvist captured the insecurity and vulnerability that Larsson wrote about. To have two such strong film versions of the same story released so close together speaks to the strength of Fincher and Larsson.

 All of that is nit-picking. Both film versions are thrilling and sterling entertainment, and clearly the Fincher version will bring the story to a much wider audience. He even brought back Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to deliver another note-perfect score. I would encourage those that are interested to check out the Swedish version, as well as the Larsson books. Maybe you will join me in my fascination with this creature known as Lisbeth Salander.

note: this is an extremely harsh, dark film.  It includes brutal sex crimes, Nazism, animal cruelty and quite a few unlikeable, unsavory folks.  Heck, even the Swedish winter is jarring!

note 2: get there in time for the opening scene and credits. Reznor and Karen O (from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s) deliver a searing remake of Led Zeppelin’s classic “The Immigrant Song” … over some mesmerizing visuals.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are a fan of the Larsson books and/or the original Swedish films OR you want to see one of the most original characters on film OR you are just looking for another reason to hate rich people

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF:  you are looking for upbeat, light-hearted holiday entertainment OR you avoid movies featuring any, much less all, of the subjects in my note above

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

December 20, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Based on the best-selling 1974 John LeCarre’ spy novel, opinions on this movie will cover the full spectrum. Many will find it painfully slow and frustrating, if not impossible to follow. Others will be thrilled with the subtle clues and reality-based exchanges between British spies in the early 70’s. This is no James Bond thriller with exploding yachts, world class fist fights and bikini-clad women. Rather, it’s a peek at what real life spies do … huddle in soundproof rooms and exchange information through stunted conversation where just shy of enough is said.

 John LeCarre’ actually worked for the British Secret Service prior to becoming an author (also wrote The Constant Gardener and The Russia House). He based this novel around the discovery of a traitor, which remains the biggest scandal in the history of British intelligence. This story covers some of that and even more. We see how trust and loyalty are so crucial, yet none of these men ever fully trusts the fellow agent sitting next to him. Very little is spoken, but much is communicated through a nod, raised eye brow, a slight cock of the head, or even the adjustment of one’s spectacles. Cigarettes and scotch are the common ground from which discussions spring.

 Swedish Director Tomas Alfredson delivered the exceptional vampire drama Let the Right One In a couple of years ago. Mr. Alfredson has a distinctive feel for the look of a film, and atmospheric is a word that fits this movie, as well as his earlier one. The tone, color and texture is key to this world, and we are immersed in blues and grays. His camera work is unique and wondrous as he massages the small, confined spaces and allow us to pick up the gestures of all involved.

 The cast is a group of wonderfully talented (mostly) men: Mark Strong, John Hurt (Control), Toby Jones (Tinker), Colin Firth (Tailor), Ciaran Hinds (Soldier), David Dencik (Poor Man)and Stephen Graham. Especially enjoyable are Tom Hardy as a rogue agent who breaks the “mole” theory wide open, Benedict Cumberbatch as the youngest agent, and of course, Gary Oldman as George Smiley. Oldman’s performance will awe many and bore a few. This is a man trained to say only what must be said. You can see the resolve in his eyes. These still waters run VERY deep. Some will compare him to the performance of Sir Alec Guiness in the BBC production, and both are terrific and strong (though different).

While a rousing recommendation would be nice, it’s just not in the cards. This movie will have a very specific audience … those who thrive on mental jigsaw puzzles and are inspired by juggling an endless stream of characters and possible plots. If that describes you, then get in line on opening day.

note: John LeCarre’ has a quick cameo during the Christmas party flashback

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are the type who likes to play six chess matches at a time OR your addiction to spy novels leans towards the most realistic of the genre, rather than the most action-packed

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: the Bond movies are your preference in spy thrillers OR needing a scorecard to keep track of the players ruins a game for you

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

December 17, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Normally if a sequel shows up a mere two years after the original, we would have good reason for low expectations (ie, The Hangover). However, director Guy Ritchie is back and just as importantly, Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law reprise their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Adding a few twists to the successful template provided by the original, the team delivers one that is sure to keep fans happy.

The reason so many Sir Arthur Conan Doyle loyalists dismissed the first film is that the frenetic pace and towering action sequences seem to go against what made the original stories so great. So what does Mr. Ritchie do? He goes BIGGER and FASTER! There are three extended action sequences that are mind-boggling to watch. They work because the plot is so elementary, my dear. Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) is out to cause a war from which he can personally profit. His plan involves guns, bombs and assassinations. Only our heroes can possibly stop him.

 Much of the odd-ball bromance from the first movie has been toned down here, and we get not only the return of Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) and Watson’s new wife (Kelly Reilly), but also the introduction of a third female character – a gypsy fortune teller, Madame Simza (the original The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Noomi Rapace). Of course, McAdams character doesn’t last long, Reilly gets tossed from a moving train, and Rapace is given a few lines and a couple of sprinting scenes. There may be more women, but this is still a man’s world.

 The vision for this franchise is an updated version that encourages discovery of Holmes by a new generation. And while Downey is excellent, it’s difficult not to notice the similarities to Captain Jack Sparrow. Also, Professor Moriarty is very much a Bond-type villain. None of that matters too much as the rapid-fire dialogue between Holmes and Watson, and the crackling chemistry between Downey and Law, make this a fun time at a huge holiday movie. An added plus this time is a brilliantly written and executed chess match between Moriarty and Holmes. That scene fed my need for the more brainiac Holmes that I so adore.

It seems odd that the release date for this one is so close to that of the new Mission:Impossible, but they both deliver what the fans want and hopefully find their audience. Even if you aren’t a fan, the fabulous sets and various world filming locations will keep you interested, even as you dodge giant explosions.

note: this is the first English-speaking role for Noomi Rapace

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: while watching the first one, you thought to yourself “too bad there aren’t more explosions and fight scenes” OR you enjoy the test-pilot speed at which Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr so excel

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you prefer the traditional, methodical pace of the Doyle books OR watching a wife get thrown out of a moving train might motivate you to action

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL

December 16, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. You should know that as serious as I am about movies, I am perfectly comfortable accepting the Mission Impossible franchise for what it is … a thrilling roller coaster ride of breathtaking stunts, outlandish missions, stunning visuals, bone-jarring fights, and above all else, Tom Cruise. Mr. Cruise is back in his element as Agent Ethan Hunt … equal parts sleuth, cage fighter and super hero.

This is the fourth installment of the re-boot which began in 1996. Cruise was in his  mid-30’s then, and is pushing 50 now. In remarkable physical condition, he seems to take great pride in his ability to pull off these fantastic stunts. However, he tops them all here as he hangs from the world’s tallest building – Burj Khalifa in Dubai. This is one of the most impressive action stunt sequences ever seen, with multiple camera angles that will definitely jar your senses if you are the least bit sensitive to heights. This alone is worth the price of admission.

 No need to go into much detail as the plot/mission is as preposterous as the others in the franchise. Ethan’s team is made up of computer geek and walking one-liner Simon Pegg as Benji; Paula Patton (Precious) as Jane (we must always have a pretty woman); and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) as Brandt, the world’s most dangerous “analyst”. This team is chasing after Michael Nyqvist (Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), who plays Hendricks … a European loony trying to nuke the world for no apparent reason. To get to Hendricks, the team must go through a filthy rich playboy played by Amil Kapoor (Slumdog Millionaire) and a trained assassin played by Lea Seydoux (the shopkeeper in Midnight in Paris).

 This latest installment is directed by Brad Bird, straight from Pixar via Ratatouille and The Incredibles, both of which prepared him for this first live-action thriller. With an eye for action sequences and a feel for lapses in dialogue, Mr. Bird’s first live action outing is quite impressive. Plus, he included an endless stream of gadgets, technology, fight scenes and crazy stunts. The sandstorm and futuristic parking garage scenes are especially effective … not to mention the prototype BMW that Cruise zips through the streets of India.  My only real complaint is that the iconic Lalo Schifrin theme song never really cuts loose like it should. Still, if you liked the first three, you will like this one.

note: the rumor is that Jeremy Renner will be taking over the MI franchise when Cruise steps down.  He is also the guy to take over for Matt Damon in the Bourne series … and is Hawkeye in The Avengers.  Don’t look for Mr. Renner to get soft around the middle for awhile.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are a fan of the Mission Impossible franchise OR you enjoy stunning stunts and bone-crunching fights OR you want to see the role that Tom Cruise was seemingly born to play

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: fights, stunts, nuclear threats, and Tom Cruise do nothing for you.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

IN A LONELY PLACE (1950)

December 10, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Was very anxious to see this one on the big screen for the first time. It’s a mystery why this film doesn’t get the same love and respect as some of the others from this era. It is one of Humphrey Bogart’s finest performances and one of director Nicholas Ray‘s (Rebel Without A Cause) first films. It also has a terrific performance by Gloria Grahame, who most know as Violet from It’s a Wonderful Life.

 Andrew Solt wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Dorothy B. Hughes. With numerous changes to the source material, we get Bogie in quite a unique role. He plays Dixon Steele, an aging writer accused of murder. His alibi is his beautiful new neighbor (Grahame, left) who may or may not be telling the truth to the police. Of course, Steele himself may or may not be telling the truth. In fact, he has such a history of flashing a violent temper, that after he punches a director, his friends just laugh it off saying “oh, that’s just Dix”.

 The scenes with Grahame and Bogart are tremendous and we certainly see that both of their characters have secrets, as well as difficulty in accepting happiness. Support work is provided by Frank Lovejoy as Det Brub Nicolai. His wife Sylvia is played by Jeff Donnell, who went on to a long run on General Hospital. Martha Stewart (no not that one) plays Mildred, the perky murdered girl … well, perky before the murder. Art Smith plays Steele’s long suffering agent and only true friend.

 The film skirts film noir traits, but is equal parts murder mystery and tragic love story. The ending is quite different than the first one Ray (left) filmed, but it is one of the most powerful, emotional endings we have ever received from Hollywood. Some of the behind the scenes scoop make this one even more fascinating. Ray and Grahame were still married during filming, but they no longer lived together. Their marriage ended formally soon after, when Ray caught her in bed with his son. Her stepson! They eventually married (Woody Allen wasn’t the first!).

If you are a Bogart fan, you need to see this one for his performance. He goes much deeper than in his earlier roles, and watching him teeter between charmer and jerk is spellbinding. His demeanor leaves us doubting not whether he is capable of murder, but rather if he committed THIS one.

note: this movie has one of my all-time favorite scenes … Bogart describes “how it could have happened” as Lovejoy and Donnell act it out.  There is a brief clip of that scene in the trailer below

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want to see one of the best from Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, and Nicholas Ray OR you want to watch one of the most powerful endings of any Hollywood film

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF:  you aren’t much into Bogart OR you prefer your murder mysteries to be a bit heavy on detective work

watch the original trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

OUT OF THE PAST (1947)

December 4, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Finally caught back up to this one after close to 30 years. I have always listed it among my favorite Film Noir movies and now I remember why! The story is not dissimilar to many of the detective films from the 40’s and 50’s, but this one is based on Daniel Mainwaring‘s brilliantly titled novel “Build My Gallows High”. It stars ultra-cool Robert Mitchum and an up-and-coming actor named Kirk Douglas, in just his second film.

 As with any Film Noir, there must be a “dame” stirring up trouble for the men who just can’t seem to think clearly around them. Here we get two fabulous women who can’t be trusted: Jane Greer and Rhonda Fleming. We also get some of the most creative lighting you will ever see in a movie. I am guessing the production budget was very small, but the shadows and darkness work very well for the story. The next best part of this one is the stream of classic lines. Some are funny and others are quite jolting, given the seriousness with which they are delivered.

The movie is directed by Jacques Tourneur, who also directed Cat People just a few years prior. His best scenes here involve Mitchum, Greer and Douglas playing cat and mouse with dialogue, but I also enjoyed Rhonda Fleming’s brief but impactful appearance.

 A couple of interesting notes on those involved. Jane Greer was discovered by Howard Hughes and has some pretty frightening things to say about their time together. She was a very young bride to Rudy Vallee, but Hughes broke up the marriage pretty quickly. Ms. Greer also appeared in Against All Odds in 1984. That film was basically an updated remake of this one. In that film, she played the mother of Rachel Ward‘s character. Since this was Kirk Douglas’ second film, you can really see how little range he had at this point. Very interesting to compare this to some of his later work.  If you enjoy the noir genre, this is a must see.

check out 39 seconds of one scene and you’ll get a feel for the shadow effects:

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Posted by David Ferguson

HUGO

November 29, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. This latest from Martin Scorsese can be fitted with multiple labels and each would be correct: a tribute to the birth of movies, a case for film preservation, a children’s fable, a special effects/3D extravaganza, a family movie with touches of Dickens. Very few directors would tackle such an ambitious project and succeed in producing such a magical experience.

Based on Brian Selznick‘s (relative to the film giant David O. Selznick) children’s book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”, this is a story of redemption and fulfillment. Asa Butterfield plays Hugo, made an orphan when his watchmaker father (Jude Law) dies in a fire. Hugo gathers up the project he and his dad had been working on, and  moves in with his drunkard Uncle Claude (Ray Winstone). They live in the walls of a 1930’s Paris train station and maintain all the clocks, ensuring accurate time for travellers. When his uncle disappears, Hugo carries on the daily mission unseen by passengers and station staff. He steals the occasional croissant and milk to survive, all while continuing the mission of repairing the fantastic automaton his dad salvaged. Hugo is convinced there is a hidden message from his father that will be revealed when the automaton is fully functioning.

 Hugo gets cross-ways with a station toy vendor named Georges, played by Sir Ben Kingsley. Georges is a bitter old man and has no time for Hugo the urchin. Chloe Moretz plays Isabelle, a ward unto Georges, and she and Hugo strike up a friendship. Hugo introduces Isabelle to the world of cinema … previously off-limits to her thanks to Georges. She returns the favor by awakening Hugo to the power of books in a store run by the mysterious, and always great, Christopher Lee. All this is happening while Hugo tries to evade the grasp of the oddly dedicated and slightly twisted station inspector played by Sacha Baron Cohen.

 The kids’ research and automaton revealed hint lead them to a film history book written by Rene Tabard (Michael Stuhlbarg). It’s here that they discover Georges is really George Melies, the famous pioneer of film who developed the first special effects and studio system. If you know much of film history, then you recognize Melies as the one who brought us the 1902 A Trip to the Moon. It is here that Scorsese delivers a quick recap of the origination of film, including the Lumiere Brothers, the famous clock stunt by Harold Lloyd and other silent film classics like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. The best portion is dedicated to recreating the creative community  used by Melies to produce films with his wife in a make-shift studio.

 It is here that we are allowed to remember just how magical movies can be and how the best ones fill us with a sense of wonderment. The lines between what we feel and what Scorsese is showing us becomes so blurred it no longer matters. As Isabelle is overwhelmed in the theatre, that same feeling sweeps over us. How interesting that Scorsese’s first special effects film features the man who originated film special effects. We even get a re-creation of the famous Lumiere Brothers’ oncoming locomotive clip that caused audiences to jump. We get it in 3D in Hugo’s own station!

 I have been extremely critical of 3D and its misuse in movies these past couple of years. It rarely adds to the movie and always dims the colors and brightness. Scorsese is a firm believer in the technology and set out to show what can be done and how it can compliment the story. While more impressive than any 3D since Avatar, I still have my doubts about the benefits. What I do know is that if you can overlook the story that drags a bit and the possibly unnecessary 3D effects, you will probably find the film to be extremely entertaining and fun to watch. Howard Shore‘s score plays a vital role and supporting work comes from Emily Mortimer, Richard Griffiths, and Helen McCrory. It’s not for the youngest kids, but it will make you feel like a kid … while reminding you that movies are the stuff that dreams are made of.

Note: with a budget of almost $170 million, there is almost no chance that this film turns a profit, but for full effect, I would encourage you to see this on the big screen.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you can enjoy a tribute to film history wrapped in a family film designed to flaunt the power of 3D OR you have a pretty smart kid aged 8 or older who could appreciate the most impressive movie prop of the year (automaton).

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you lean towards a cynical mindset and are unlikely to open up for a big budget children’s fable making a case for film preservation

watch the trailer:

3 Comments | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

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