Seen and Noted

Now that the Academy Awards are over and done with, some of the contenders are now popping up on pay-per-view and movies on demand on cable. My husband and I had been wanting to see “Hugo”, and the other night were able to do so. What a wonderful movie! Now, I’m not here to give anything away; no spoilers. I’m just here to say how much we enjoyed this absorbing film, and why.

To begin with, it’s just plain good storytelling. Based on the book, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick, it’s the tale of a young orphan boy, trained in clock repair by his late father, who attempts to rebuild an automaton (a human-like figure run by clockwork mechanisms, gears, etc.). All the acting is good; a special surprise (and treat) is Sacha Baron Cohen of “Borat” fame as a gendarme crippled during World War I. The surprise to me is that he is capable of real acting. I’ve never been a particular fan of gross-out, simplistic humor ala “Borat”, but if Cohen did more of this sort of work, I could be interested. The story is well-crafted, and director Martin Scorsese did a fantastic job with it. Best of all, it truly is a family film.

And why do I say that? Simply because of the things that weren’t in the film. No sex, no violence, no cursing and foul language. Just a great story that captures your attention and draws you in. Imagine – nothing but a crackerjack story and fine acting performances. What a concept! I’d put this film in the same category as ones such as “The Wizard of Oz” or the Harry Potter films; a movie that today’s children will be watching with their grandchildren decades from now. Please Hollywood – may we have some more?