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judyandjoanie55
Reviews
Hugo (2011)
Brilliance, wonder, magic, heart, a bit of everything.
So I saw this film today, and I was blown away. I'll admit that the trailer didn't impress me much, and if you do come out of it thinking that Hugo is just for kids, it's not. It's so much more than that. I had heard of Martin Scorsese directing a 3-D picture, but I didn't realize it was this very adaptation. The book was a wonderful experience (go read it - the pictures within are like a film by itself!), and I can't believe I didn't think the 3-D medium would work for it.
Absolutely brilliant. From the very first scene, you get a sense of how Scorsese is able to tap into the charm of 3-D - the essence of it - which is so easily lost amidst the abundance of films that get slapped with the 3-D label, but in a less cash-greedy industry need not warrant the extra surcharge. Scorsese takes his time to immerse the audience in Paris, in the train station, in Hugo's everyday surroundings that may seem almost ordinary to him by this point but for us, it's a whole different world. At times I forgot I was watching a live-action film because some of it was just so vibrant (yes, even with the automatic dimming of your 3-D glasses).
The cast was wonderful - Asa Butterfield as the main lead, has got such expressive eyes that you feel the hurt when he thinks of his father (played by Jude Law), which is very often. Chloe Moretz partners him very well as a fellow adventurer, and of course, you've also got: Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, etc. to round out the characters.
It's such a fantastical but genuine story that you can't help but fall in love with it, I think. Scorsese has brought a boy's dream to life but also written a love letter to film-making. I won't spoil anything outside of the trailer for fear of diminishing the magic, but I needed to write a somewhat coherent review to get my thoughts down, and hopefully persuade more people to watch the film! There's heart, there's magic, there's wonder, there's enjoyment, there's a little bit of everything for everyone to love in this. Some parts had me misty-eyed with the wonderful score and the ode to the joy of film.
And I know the mandatory 3-D will deter people but this film is one of those rare ones (and at the moment the only film so far this year that I can think of
) that extols the virtue of 3-D. I WEAR GLASSES SO I HAVE TO PUT 3-D GLASSES OVER MY OWN PAIR AND I WASN'T ANNOYED AT ALL - IT WAS WELL WORTH IT. So I'm speaking for that crowd right now. I know there are plenty of us out there! The genius of Scorsese strikes here, so pop in and have an adventure. :)
Starbuck (2011)
Heartwarming gem of a film.
David Wozniack has quite the problem. As a man who doesn't have many responsibilities aside from driving his dad's delivery truck for the butcher shop, he's the father of 533 children. He's got commitment issues with his girlfriend, and gets ragged on for not being dependable enough. So how did this happen?
All the children were conceived thanks to his donations to the fertility clinic, registered under 'Starbuck' - and it's twenty years later - 142 of the kids want to know his identity. Class action lawsuit time!
I heard about this premise from a friend, and it sounded absolutely hilarious. What would anyone even do in this situation? It's absurd! I went in, expecting plenty of laughs, but walked out with a genuine love for this film. It's a wonderful surprise. What could have been a mere gimmick for comedy turned out to be a starting point for something much more. When we first see David, he isn't doing well. Nothing is expected of him, he seems to be a disappointment with everyone he knows, except for his best friend, and the news of this children can only be a headache. However, he decides to take a more active approach and gets to know his children, as scary as the idea seems. One step at a time, one child at a time. The result is an effective mix of silly and sweet, some great lines, and genuine emotion.
I don't think this film will get a wide a distribution as it deserves, which is a real shame. I suspect the fact that it being in French will deter some audience members from the film. Personally, I saw it with subs and it wasn't hard to follow. It's well worth the effort to do a bit of reading. Starbuck has piqued my interest to see more Canadian films in hopes of more gems like this one. All I can do is spread the word, and hopefully the word of mouth will help it along. This film is a crowd-pleaser and I was caught between laughing and crying during some parts, I can't praise it enough. Give it a chance if it happens to be playing your local theatre - it might just blow you away!
A very refreshing film. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing it again in theatres.