Filming [ Hugo ( film 2011 ) ]
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| Theatrical release poster |
Hugo is a 2011 American 3D historical adventure drama film based on Brian Selznick's novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret about a boy who lives alone in a Paris railway station known as Gare Montparnasse. It is directed and co-produced by Martin Scorsese and adapted for the screen by John Logan. It is a co-production of Graham King's GK Films and Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil. The film stars Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law, and Christopher Lee.
Hugo is Scorsese's first film shot in 3D, of which the filmmaker remarked: "I found 3D to be really interesting, because the actors were more upfront emotionally. Their slightest move, their slightest intention is picked up much more precisely." The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures and released in the U.S. on 23 November 2011.
The film received enormously positive reviews, with many critics praising the visuals, acting, and direction. At the 84th Academy Awards, Hugo received five Oscars—for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing—and its 11 total nominations (including Best Picture) was the most for the evening. Hugo also won two BAFTAs and was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, earning Scorsese his third Golden Globe Award for Best Director.
Hugo is Scorsese's first film shot in 3D, of which the filmmaker remarked: "I found 3D to be really interesting, because the actors were more upfront emotionally. Their slightest move, their slightest intention is picked up much more precisely." The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures and released in the U.S. on 23 November 2011.
The film received enormously positive reviews, with many critics praising the visuals, acting, and direction. At the 84th Academy Awards, Hugo received five Oscars—for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing—and its 11 total nominations (including Best Picture) was the most for the evening. Hugo also won two BAFTAs and was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, earning Scorsese his third Golden Globe Award for Best Director.
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Produced by Graham King
Timothy Headington
Martin Scorsese
Johnny Depp
Screenplay by John Logan
Based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by
Brian Selznick
Starring Asa Butterfield
Ben Kingsley
Chloë Grace Moretz
Sacha Baron Cohen
Helen McCrory
Richard Griffiths
Frances de la Tour
Ray Winstone
Emily Mortimer
Jude Law
Christopher Lee
Music by Howard Shore
Cinematography Robert Richardson
Editing by Thelma Schoonmaker
Studio GK Films
Infinitum Nihil
Distributed by Paramount Pictures (Worldwide)
Entertainment Film Distributors (UK)
Release date(s) November 23, 2011
Running time 128 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $150 to $170 million
Box office $184,707,636
Produced by Graham King
Timothy Headington
Martin Scorsese
Johnny Depp
Screenplay by John Logan
Based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by
Brian Selznick
Starring Asa Butterfield
Ben Kingsley
Chloë Grace Moretz
Sacha Baron Cohen
Helen McCrory
Richard Griffiths
Frances de la Tour
Ray Winstone
Emily Mortimer
Jude Law
Christopher Lee
Music by Howard Shore
Cinematography Robert Richardson
Editing by Thelma Schoonmaker
Studio GK Films
Infinitum Nihil
Distributed by Paramount Pictures (Worldwide)
Entertainment Film Distributors (UK)
Release date(s) November 23, 2011
Running time 128 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $150 to $170 million
Box office $184,707,636
Plot
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| A Georges Méliès drawing similar to the one drawn by the automaton in the film |
In 1931, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), a 12-year-old boy, lives with his widowed father (Jude Law), a master clockmaker in Paris. Hugo's father takes him to see films and, tells Hugo that his favourite film is Voyage to the Moon, the first film he ever saw. Hugo's father dies in a museum fire on one night, and Hugo is taken away by his uncle Claude (Ray Winstone), an alcoholic watchmaker who is responsible for maintaining the clocks in the railway station Gare Montparnasse. His uncle teaches him to take care of the clocks and then disappears. He is later discovered to have drowned in the River Seine.
Hugo lives between the walls of the station, maintaining the clocks, stealing food, avoiding the vigilant Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), and working on his father's most ambitious project: repairing a broken automaton, a mechanical man who is supposed to write with a pen. Convinced the automaton contains a message from his father, Hugo goes to desperate lengths to fix it. He steals mechanical parts to repair the automaton, but he is caught by a toy store owner, Papa Georges (Ben Kingsley), who confiscates Hugo's notebook from him, with notes and drawings for fixing the automaton.
To recover the notebook, Hugo follows the Georges to his house and meets Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), an orphan close to his age and Georges' goddaughter. She promises to help. The next day, Georges gives some ashes to Hugo, referring to them as the notebook's remains, but Isabelle informs him that the notebook was not burned. Finally he agrees that Hugo may earn the notebook back by working for him until he pays for all the things he stole from the shop.
Hugo works in the toy shop, and in his time off manages to fix the automaton, but it is still missing one part—a heart–shaped key which goes in the back of the automaton to make it work.
A Georges Méliès drawing similar to the one drawn by the automaton in the film
As the two grow closer together, Hugo introduces Isabelle to the movies, which her godfather has never let her see, while she introduces Hugo to a bookstore whose owner (Christopher Lee) initially mistrusts Hugo. Isabelle turns out to have the key to the automaton. When they use the key to activate the automaton, it produces a drawing of a film scene. Hugo remembers it is the film his father always talked about as the first film he ever saw (Voyage to the Moon) and Isabelle recognises the signature as being the name of her godfather, revealing that Papa Georges is, in fact, Georges Méliès, a pioneer in the early technical and narrative developments in cinema, and whose films Hugo's father had particularly favoured. Hugo and Isabelle take the drawing to her home for an explanation.
Hugo shows Georges' wife Mama Jeanne (Helen McCrory) the drawing made by the automaton, but she will not tell them anything and makes them hide in another room when Georges comes home. While hiding, Isabelle and Hugo find a secret compartment in a cabinet and accidentally release pictures and screen boards of Georges' creations. The noise attracts Georges, who is deeply upset and throws Hugo out, feeling betrayed.
The bookseller refers Hugo and Isabelle to a book on the history of film and they are surprised that the author, Rene Tabard (Michael Stuhlbarg), refers to Méliès as having died in World War I. Tabard himself appears, and the children tell him that Méliès is alive. Tabard, a devotee of Méliès' films, owns a copy of Voyage to the Moon, thought to be the last copy of one of Méliès' films in existence. Hugo convinces Tabard to go to Georges' home. That night Hugo has a disturbing dream of being run over by a train when trying to retrieve the heart key from the rails, a sequence that ends in a re-creation of the Montparnasse train accident.
Hugo goes back to the station to get the automaton, to surprise Georges, but he is cornered by the Station Inspector and his dog. Hugo escapes and runs to the top of the clock tower and hides by climbing out onto the hands of the clock. After the Inspector goes off (thinking he has gone "the other direction"), Hugo climbs out and gets the automaton. He nearly reaches the station exit with the automaton, but is ultimately trapped by the Inspector and the automaton is thrown onto the railway tracks. Climbing onto the tracks, Hugo is almost run over by an approaching train before being saved by the Inspector. The Inspector states that Hugo must be turned in as an orphan without a guardian; as Hugo pleads with him, Georges arrives and says Hugo is in his care. Moved, the Inspector lets him go.
The movie ends with a ceremony paying tribute to the work of Georges Méliès, introduced by Tabard, who announces that more than 80 films have been recovered and restored. Méliès, after thanking Hugo and praising him for his courage, tells the audience, “My friends, I address you all tonight as you truly are: wizards, mermaids, travelers, adventurers… magicians. Come and dream with me.”
Hugo lives between the walls of the station, maintaining the clocks, stealing food, avoiding the vigilant Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), and working on his father's most ambitious project: repairing a broken automaton, a mechanical man who is supposed to write with a pen. Convinced the automaton contains a message from his father, Hugo goes to desperate lengths to fix it. He steals mechanical parts to repair the automaton, but he is caught by a toy store owner, Papa Georges (Ben Kingsley), who confiscates Hugo's notebook from him, with notes and drawings for fixing the automaton.
To recover the notebook, Hugo follows the Georges to his house and meets Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), an orphan close to his age and Georges' goddaughter. She promises to help. The next day, Georges gives some ashes to Hugo, referring to them as the notebook's remains, but Isabelle informs him that the notebook was not burned. Finally he agrees that Hugo may earn the notebook back by working for him until he pays for all the things he stole from the shop.
Hugo works in the toy shop, and in his time off manages to fix the automaton, but it is still missing one part—a heart–shaped key which goes in the back of the automaton to make it work.
A Georges Méliès drawing similar to the one drawn by the automaton in the film
As the two grow closer together, Hugo introduces Isabelle to the movies, which her godfather has never let her see, while she introduces Hugo to a bookstore whose owner (Christopher Lee) initially mistrusts Hugo. Isabelle turns out to have the key to the automaton. When they use the key to activate the automaton, it produces a drawing of a film scene. Hugo remembers it is the film his father always talked about as the first film he ever saw (Voyage to the Moon) and Isabelle recognises the signature as being the name of her godfather, revealing that Papa Georges is, in fact, Georges Méliès, a pioneer in the early technical and narrative developments in cinema, and whose films Hugo's father had particularly favoured. Hugo and Isabelle take the drawing to her home for an explanation.
Hugo shows Georges' wife Mama Jeanne (Helen McCrory) the drawing made by the automaton, but she will not tell them anything and makes them hide in another room when Georges comes home. While hiding, Isabelle and Hugo find a secret compartment in a cabinet and accidentally release pictures and screen boards of Georges' creations. The noise attracts Georges, who is deeply upset and throws Hugo out, feeling betrayed.
The bookseller refers Hugo and Isabelle to a book on the history of film and they are surprised that the author, Rene Tabard (Michael Stuhlbarg), refers to Méliès as having died in World War I. Tabard himself appears, and the children tell him that Méliès is alive. Tabard, a devotee of Méliès' films, owns a copy of Voyage to the Moon, thought to be the last copy of one of Méliès' films in existence. Hugo convinces Tabard to go to Georges' home. That night Hugo has a disturbing dream of being run over by a train when trying to retrieve the heart key from the rails, a sequence that ends in a re-creation of the Montparnasse train accident.
Hugo, Isabelle, and Tabard go to Georges' home, and at first Jeanne tells them to go before her husband wakes. However, Jeanne accepts their offer to show Voyage to the Moon when Tabard compliments her as the beautiful actress in Georges' films. As they finish watching the film, Georges appears and explains how he came to make movies, invented the special effects, and how he lost faith in films when World War I began, being forced to sell his films as chemicals to get money, and opening the toy shop to survive. He also believes the automaton he created was lost in the museum fire and that nothing remains of his life's work.
Hugo goes back to the station to get the automaton, to surprise Georges, but he is cornered by the Station Inspector and his dog. Hugo escapes and runs to the top of the clock tower and hides by climbing out onto the hands of the clock. After the Inspector goes off (thinking he has gone "the other direction"), Hugo climbs out and gets the automaton. He nearly reaches the station exit with the automaton, but is ultimately trapped by the Inspector and the automaton is thrown onto the railway tracks. Climbing onto the tracks, Hugo is almost run over by an approaching train before being saved by the Inspector. The Inspector states that Hugo must be turned in as an orphan without a guardian; as Hugo pleads with him, Georges arrives and says Hugo is in his care. Moved, the Inspector lets him go.
The movie ends with a ceremony paying tribute to the work of Georges Méliès, introduced by Tabard, who announces that more than 80 films have been recovered and restored. Méliès, after thanking Hugo and praising him for his courage, tells the audience, “My friends, I address you all tonight as you truly are: wizards, mermaids, travelers, adventurers… magicians. Come and dream with me.”
Later that night, all the guests are at the Méliès' house while Isabelle is seen writing her new book about her adventure along with Hugo while the Automaton is seen in another room and the camera slowly moves into it before going black.
Source: Wikipedia
