"Hugo" See This Film

Hey! I went to a theatre to see a movie!  First time in three years.

And Martin Scorsese did not let me down.  This is a wonderful film.  I smiled the whole way through it and all the way home.  It's not mean-spirited; it's wholesome but not devoid of conflict.  The conflict is all emotional--the journeys Hugo and Georges take are quite relatable and full of substance.
Though I would call it a PG movie for adults, I think that children would enjoy it too.  I don't think adults give kids enough credit for what they'll enjoy.  I know young children who like Babette's Feast and Branagh's four-hour Hamlet.  They like quieter, calm films sometimes, and other times they just like something because they do, even if they don't understand it.  Hugo is an emotionally healthy film for kids and mentally stimulating film for adults.  If you know about silent film and Scorsese's life, you will get more out of it, but it's not necessary to enjoy the film.  This is a true film, one that makes perfect use of the medium.  It's not a plug for film restoration, though it does clearly support it.  Instead, it maturely supports film preservation by showing how not doing so leads to deep unhappiness in certain folks' lives.  If no one remembers old films (or books or plays or songs for that matter), then what was the point of it all in the eyes of the ones who made them?  The material is handled subtly and depends on the audience to make the connections.

I hadn't seen a 3D film before, so I have no way to judge, but I did not find the image dark or murky.  Maybe it's getting better, or maybe Scorsese just utilised color very well, but it's a very clear, colorful film.  The 3D was never distracting.

I'm hoping for some acting nominations here.  And directing, visual effects, sound, editing, and picture.  Films like this used to win Best Picture, but these days, it's unlikely they're even nominated.  The Oscar race has mostly gone to PG-13 and R films.  I hope it gets some recognition.  Especially considering that Breaking Dawn Part One is the top grossing film of the weekend on the week that Hugo, The Muppets, and Arthur Christmas (all getting rave reviews) came out.