Martin Scorsese tries his hand in the fantasy world

Right, let’s cut to the chase, Martin Scorsese is not known for making family-friendly pictures over his illustrious career in moviemaking. I mean, which nine-year-old nipper would want to witness Joe Pesci get his head slammed in between a vice as portrayed in the 1995 gangster saga, Casino anyhoo. But come December of this year, the acclaimed filmmaker will, I am sure, have a new line of fans when his adaptation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret is released.

By the sound of the film’s plot, one might expect a Robert Zemeckis or a Chris Columbus to take on the reigns of such a family orientated film. Based on the novel by Brian Selznick, Hugo, as the film is not entitled focuses on a 13-year-old orphan (Asa Butterfield) who lives within the walls of a train station in 1930’s Paris. There, he is embroiled in a mystery involving his father’s (Jude Law) inventions. Alongside Isabelle (Chloe Moretz), who also has a taste for adventure, the pair both set off in search of the truth behind the inventions but also escape the clutches of the evil train inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen).

Today saw the release of the trailer which was kinda unexpected as there has been very little come out of the Hugo camp with the exception of a fluttler of stills. With the red hot anticipation of the first trailer of The Dark Knight Rises expected any day now, this was a welcome surprise from Scorsese and Co. From the insight into what the trailer provides this is something completely different for the Goodfellas director. A robot, a slapstick duo of a guard dog and the former Ali-G set within a fictional magical Paris in 3D is ever so slightly different to the epic battle of mobs and cops seen in the 2006 crime masterpiece, The Departed. Having said that Scorsese has never been a director to pin one genre to. Naturally the Oscar winner has rounded up a brilliant pedigree of actors featuring Shutter Island collaborators Sir Ben Kingsley and Emily Mortimer. Also featuring are Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee and Helen McCrory.

It will be intriguing to see audience’s reaction to the fantasy world of Hugo, particularly loyal fans of the book who already seem skeptical to the world adapted by Scorsese. But I, as a loyal fan of the director have total faith in his next picture. As I am a total newbie to Hugo Cabret I’m already encouraged to the whole mystery side to the film with the two young leads in the forefront of the adventure. It looks the perfect upcoming Christmas film and the 3D element does appear to be justified from what the trailer offers. Expect your December to begin brightly then succumb to total dreariness when David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is released a few weeks later.

Martin Scorsese argues that the emergence of 3D technology allowed him to rethink the art of cinema.  In this regard, the director insists that his decision to make Hugo is the right one. Dare you question the man’s thinking, I wouldn’t dream of it.

Hugo is released 2^nd December 2011

Written by Michael Cunneen