Hugo

With a visual style somewhat reminiscent of Pan's Labyrinth, it's a pleasant surprise to find that Hugo is actually a story bursting with warmth and beautiful flourishes of whimsy.

A bit like Edward Scissorhands, Hugo somehow manages to create a glossy Gothic fantasy world and use it to tell some very simple and uplifting truths about how we as humans communicate with each other and the world around us.

Sianoa Smit-McPhee gives an incredibly textured performance as the frenetic and intense Desma and Andre Jewson is otherworldly in all the best senses of the word as the mysterious Mothboy who is about to challenge some of the beliefs Desma has constructed around herself.

The junction between haunting beauty and uplifting atmosphere is perfectly encapsulated in the film's score which is a thing to behold all of itself.

Bowen's script is beautifully handled by Verso and this audience member at least is looking forward to whatever is coming next for both of these people.

All too often, films seem derivative. In other words, you watch a movie and can't help but feel that you've seen it before--or at least some variation on the same theme. The expression "there's nothing new under the sun" does seem very true some times. However, I am glad to point out that some times a film comes along that dares to be different--and HUGO certainly is different.

The film begins in a girls school in Australia. A girl is working on a science project involving killing and mounting moths. However, a classmate comes in the room--inadvertently allowing a prized moth to escape. In disgust, the girl storms into the night---looking for a replacement moth. Then, she stumbles upon the weirdest moth I've ever seen! You just have to see it to believe it and I won't say more--it would spoil the film.

Overall, a very interesting and unusual film--well made and certainly unlike anything I've seen.