Hugo- Movie review- Hugo – One of the most legendary directors takes us on an extraordinary adventure

It is said that Martin Scorsese’s daughter Francesca presented him a copy of the Brian Selznick book as a birthday gift which became the driving force behind the Academy Award Winner “Hugo”.  And Scorsese does a wonderful job. Hugo is not just a story but its a celebration of cinema world over. As he says-

“Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our lifetime. We need to keep them alive.”

And that is exactly what Hugo does.  He tells a tale of childhood adventure, with the earliest days of cinema and film preservation wrapped in a big-screen technology. The movie is an experience. The visual effects, cinematography, art direction everything is just technically superb. A flat story though to capture children’s attention for long but cinematically it is grand.  It feels like Hugo is Scorsese’s homage to the history of cinema.

Hugo is set in the Montparnasse station of 1931 France. Hidden within the station’s giant clock is Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), an orphaned 12-year-old with a talent for fixing things. When Hugo’s not tightening the screws and adjusting the levers of the clock, he’s sneaking his way through the crowded spaces of Montparnasse, stealing food from bakeries and fruit carts. The only thing that his father (Jude Law) left him was the broken automaton that they were determined to rebuild. Holding on to the belief that the machine contains a valuable message from his departed father, Hugo intends to finish the work that he and his dad had started. Dodging the tenacious station inspector (Baron Cohen), Hugo makes his way into the life of grouchy shopkeeper Georges (Ben Kingsley), and has a series of adventures with his goddaughter Isabelle (Moretz). When they learn that Georges is forgotten pioneer filmmaker Georges Melies, they decide to help bring him back in the limelight.

Scorsese recreates the legendary presentation of the Lumiere brothers’ 1897 Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat. As the plot thickens and Melies’s classic silent film A Tip To The Moon (1898) and the image of a rocket ship wedged in the eye of the Man in the Moon plays a large role in the film’s plot. Then movie kaes us to the journey of Melies’s work as a magician, his discovery of moving pictures at the hands of the Lumiere brothers and the construction of his glass-walled movie studio. The richness to detail and care in framing each and every old frame is tremendous. The movie shows resonance and intricacy of the theme of clocks, clockworks, animatronics and our fear. As the movie quotes -” It is like the whole world is a giant machine and we all are parts of that giant machine and everyone has a reason.”

Robert Richardson’s cinematography is quite beautiful, where as everybody’s acting is good.  Dante Ferreti’s production design is amazing and Howard Shore’s scores keeps up to the tune. Ben Kingsley deleievers another impressive performance as George. He always makes you believe in the character. The young Asa Butterfield as Hugo gives a truly incredible performance.  Sacha Baron Cohen is seffective as Station Inspector but would have been great if that French accent would have donned there.

Scorsese has not only brought a child’s dream to life but have also written a love letter to film-making with Hugo. The movie has a weak storyline and continuity but it makes up with the overall grandeur look and feel. It feels that as the film goes on Scorsese has forgotten the child and has concentrated more on telling the history of Cinema but then he does it through a child’s eye.  A grand 3D experience one must say.  Scorsese shows he is not just a film maker but he brings dreams alive. Its your time to be that Dream catcher.

Rating- 4 Out of 5

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – Movie Review

There was Sherlock Holmes and then there was Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. Guy Ritchie takes the movie away from the book and I say takes it to the next level. Those who would have read the book might say that it’s no where close to the book. Yes it is not as Guy Ritchie modifies the storyline to suit today’s audience. And for me he did a good job. A lot of times we compare the sequels and we end up getting disappointed. But not this time.  The reason so many Sir Arthur Conan Doyle loyalists dismissed the film is that the frenetic pace and towering action sequences (besides the modified storyline) seem to go against what made the original stories so great. So what does Guy Ritchie do? He goes bigger, better & faster!

A Game of Shadows picks up shortly after the first Sherlock Holmes, with Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) trying to solve the web of a series of bombings and assassinations across Europe suspecting Professor James Moriarty as the mastermind behind all these events. Meanwhile, Dr. Watson (Jude Law) is preparing to wed fiancé Mary (Kelly Reilly). Moriarty’s targets  those closest to Holmes.Holmes manages to wrangle the honeymooning Watson into helping solve this final case, and the two begin an odyssey across Europe, following each subsequent clue they discover to the next strand in Moriarty’s web. With the help of allies like Sherlock’s brilliant (but lazy) brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry), or knife-wielding gypsy, Simza (Noomi Rapace), for every step Holmes and Watson take forward, they find that Moriarty is already two steps further ahead and then the game of Shadow begins.

There are lots of action scenes that keeps the film exciting and running at a constant pace. The sequences are louder, much more explosive and exuberant. Best is the sequence where Sim and others escape from the German area. Guy Ritchie is known for inventive and momentum shifting action scenes. Sometimes bullets fly faster than the speed of light and then shift to ‘Matrix’ time . The sequence is one of the best shot sequences of the year. The simple chess game sequence between Holmes and Moriarty is another high rated sequence. While you think a chess game would be boring, Guy Ritchie films it as if it was a grand battle with Hans Zimmer’s music in the background setting up the tone.

Ten years ago, Robert Downey Jr’s drug abuse made him uninsurable; now he’s one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. For turning his life around, he deserves respect. And he continues from where he left in the first movie. With his roughish charms and quick wit, Downing Jr.is just brilliant in portraying the detective but also at places went overboard. His bizarre behavior, regardless of his intelligence adds a layer of comedy to the film. His trademark hobby, disguising into several unexpected people is just purely entertaining.  Jude Law is again very good as Watson, lovely Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler disappears from the film far too early on, to be replaced by Noomi Rapace playing a gypsy with an incomprehensible accent. While Downey Jr. and Law are just as impeccable and well matched as ever but the addition of Jade Harris as Moriarty makes it even better. The character’s presence was felt throughout the film.  Watching Harris match wits with Downey is simply astounding, and makes for the most wildly enjoyable parts of the film.  There is never a dull moment when he is around, and instead of making the film drone on, he invigorates it with an immense amount of energy. He and Downey Jr. have a fantastic chemistry, wherein Holmes and Moriarty are two sides of the same coin, and have just as much respect for one another’s intellect as they do disdain for how the other man chooses to use it. Watching the onscreen rivalry here made me compare it to the onscreen rivalry of Batman and The Joker.

The screenwriters, Michele and Kieran Mulroney, have drawn on Conan Doyle’s novel  for Moriarty’s character. Hans Zimmer’s melodramatic score incorporates arias from Mozart’s Don Giovanni and a jaunty Morricone theme from Two Mules for Sister Sara.

Overall Sherlock Holmes 2 is entertaining in terms of pace, humour and style. Ritchie compels us forward, making us want to see what happens next and he achieves in doing so. As I said earlier it is bigger, better and faster than the first part. And yes its a different Sherlock but then we got a different James Bond too in Daniel Craig. Watch it for Downey Jr. Watch it for guy Ritchie and watch it for the duel between Moriarty and Holmes.

Rating- 3.5 out of 5

P.S- Thanks to Prassana @labellagorda & @warnerbrosindia for the special preview

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Trailer

And he is back. After a loooong delay, Jackson returns to Middle Earth with the first in a two-part prequel to his masterwork – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The movie follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths ofguile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
Writers: Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Evangeline Lily, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage

After helping Spielberg on Tintin, this will be Jackson’s first film in 3D. Watch the trailer here-

The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn – Movie Review

Long after Hergé penned Tintin, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson bring it back to life in The Adventures of Tintin. And I should say they have don a good job.  Steven makes the young Belgian reporter Tintin, a CG character filled with 3D effects and ya some British accent. Now this is what you call a film for all ages. Steven takes it a notch ahead by using performance capture – A method by which actors’ movements and expressions are translated into 3D computer graphics which makes the animation look real.  And amongst all this storytelling, character and dialogue are not ignored at all. The movie still has the old adventure of the book with a modern touch.

The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn is story of Tintin(Jamie Bell), who gets tangled in the affairs of smugglers when he buys a model ship from a scrap meet. He with his loyal dog Snowy are intrigued as to why so many desire it,and once the model is stolen, more information surfaces and the pair set out to discover the truth, teaming up against evil Ivanovich Sakharine (Daniel Craig), after a surprise meeting, with the boisterous drunkard Captain Haddock ( Andy Serkis) . He’s a pure-hearted old drunk, who has information on a great treasure, told as a legend in his family for generations. He just needs to get sober enough to remember it. The adventure takes the pair to the Atlantic, Sahara, Morocco and finally back home.

The movies has great detailing which can be scene in every scene and every shot. The bike chase sequence in Morocco where Tintin is gliding on a wire and the camera is following him throughout the whole scene in a continuous shot which makes it look fantastic. Also Haddock’s flashback sequence where he recounts the sinking of the Unicorn are of the best scenes in terms of editing, cinematography and visual effects. The animation is magnificent and looks very realistic. The action scenes are brilliantly written and directed, the era has been set up beautifully and Spielberg get back to the basics in style with the simply joys of  storytelling. Spielberg sticks to  Hergé’s Tintin as a character.Kaminski’s delicate cinematography John Williams energetic score and the three British screenwriters- Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish and Steven Moffat turns everything in a timeless screenplay making the film a rollercoaster ride. For me Andy Serkis as Haddock steals the show. Snowy chases cats, digs up fossilised bones from the desert, and gobbling sandwiches wins audiences heart. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Thompson and Thomson, the Interpol agents provides the laughs.

So if you know the Tintin story or not, the movie will entertain you and keep you engaged and interested. One can even watch the movie in 2D without missing any great details but 3D has its own charm I guess. It’s a joyous movie  with a good  mixture of action and adventure. Its fast-paced action and the realistic animation,makes The Adventures of Tintin a top notch entertainment. Quintessentially a perfect family film and has plenty to offer audiences of all ages. Great Snakes, it’s good

Rating- 4 out of 5

 

Puss in Boots Trailer

Here is the trailer of Puss in Boots. A story about the events leading up to the sword fighting cat’s meeting with Shrek and his friends.

Puss in Boots, is an upcoming film produced by DreamWorks Animation, directed by Chris Miller (who directed Shrek the Third in 2007), executive produced by Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Blade II, Pan’s Labyrinth), starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, and written by Tom Wheeler. It is set to be released in theaters November 4, 2011 in 3D and IMAX 3D.

The film is based on and follows the character of Puss in Boots from Shrek and his adventures before his first appearance in 2004′s Shrek 2. The prequel’s story centers on the swashbuckling cat and how he comes to meet Shrek and his friends, while introducing new characters as well.

The film has been in development since 2004, when Shrek 2 was released. As a Shrek 2 spin-off, it was originally planned for release in 2008 as a direct-to-video film, but this was changed in 2006 in favor of a theatrical release. Production on the film began after the release of 2010′s Shrek Forever After. Banderas said in an interview in early 2010 that he had completed the first recordings of his character. The film is scheduled to be released as a 3-D film. Late in 2010, Guillermo del Toro, director of Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth, had signed on as executive producer.
Except for Puss, the film will feature all new characters. Citing the co-writer, David H. Steinberg, “It doesn’t overlap with Shrek at all. Partly that was done to tell an original Puss story, but partly because we didn’t know what Shrek Forever After was going to do with the characters and we couldn’t write conflicting storylines.”The film was teased in Shrek Forever After when Shrek finally put the book of Shrek away and put it next to a book titled “Puss in Boots”.