FilmReviews: Elysium

From the director of District 9 comes another Science Fiction thriller,Elysium.

Just watched Elysium last Sunday night at SM MOA.This was the only good film showing last night next to The Conjuring and OTJ.And I thought that the plot was interesting so I gave it a go.Before I start this review,I would like to give some details regarding the film.Elysium is the sophomore directorial effort of District 9 director Neill Blomkamp.It is both written and directed by Neill Blomkamp and stars Matt Damon (The Departed/The Bourne Trilogy),Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs/Flight Plan),Sharlto Copley (The A-Team/District 9),Alice Braga (I Am Legend),Diego Luna and William Fichtner (The Dark Knight/Drive Angry).




Now,to start this review properly,here are the contributing factors of what makes it a review:>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

Now,we may begin...

Story:

Elysium is set in 2154 where Earth is overpopulated and the poor live in Earth while the rich and wealthy live in a city outside the Earth called Elysium.That's the film main concept but it still has another.In the film,we are introduced to Max Da Costa,a regular worker who repairs droids or robots.While repairing a robot,he gets stuck in the repairing chamber and gets radiated by the chemicals the repairroom emitted.After getting radiated,he begins to learn that he only has 5 days left to live and that in order to get healed,he must get up to Elysium knowing that there are healing pods there.In order to get up to Elysium without a ticket,he gets a deal from his past workmate who stole cars with him to insert an exoskeleton that can steal data/codes from the persons from Elysium with the highest position.Elysium's story is somewhat reminiscent of other Science Fiction films from the modern classic Inception to the highly respected classic 2001: A Space Odyssey.Therefore,it is not original but I consider the plot interesting.Other than that,it is all seen and done before by past Sci-Fis.For my opinion,Elysium needed to be written not by Neill Blompkamp but instead other low-rent but smart writers.All I can say about Elysium's story is that needed so much more,the concept is very interesting but it needed to be executed properly.For Neill Blompkamp,I can say that he did a good job and I appreciate his effort but he should have done better and had some originality in some moments of the film.He should keep it up on his next film,Chappie.

Acting/Performances:

Elysium's cast aren't that well known,but I can say that they all did a good job.Perhaps the only ones whose performances I thought were good and praisable would be Matt Damon's,Jodie Foster's and even Sharlto Copley's.From the mentioned trifecta,the best performance or performances I would have to consider would be from Jodie Foster's and Sharlto Copley's.But if you really were to let me choose between Jodie and Sharlto,my pick would be Sharlto.Sharlto's character here is very different from the one in D9.If in D9,he played a reporter who then gets exposed from alien-liquid,slowly transform into a Prawn and then fully becomes one but in Elysium,he plays a cold blooded agent/hunter in pursuit of killing those who attempt to illegally enter Elysium.I loved Sharlto in here because I thought that he was irresistible not to praise,he became one of the film's high points for his strong,villainous performance plus,he was just bad-ass.Jodie Foster's performance was praisable also,but in my opinion Sharlto tops her.Sure,Jodie was amazing but her role was too common either way I also praise her having a strong portrayal.For Matt Damon's,I liked him too but his performance here made me remember of him from The Bourne Trilogy at some points throughout the film.Only these three are the ones that I praise,'cause above the rest they stand out as a trifecta.On to the other side,these 3 are the only known stars this film has.Matt Damon and Jodie Foster perhaps garners the film's star-power.

Miscellaneous:

Elysium had amazing camera work as I would say.The outer shot of Elysium (the space station) had me gazing at it beautifully.Then there's the aerial views of  wasteland Earth or Los Angeles that I liked.Maybe for the way it fit into the story,since the film is set in a distant future where Earth is thrashed and has become a deserted wasteland sprawling with sickness.For the film's sound editing/score,I liked it but I thought that it sounded generic like the ones used in previous Sci-Fi films of last year such as Total Recall or even this year's Oblivion.Despite the lack of proper execution,one of the small things I loved in Elysium was the realistic side it was on which made me consider it a political Sci-Fi film.Despite the film's setting is in the future,the political agenda within the film made me realize that this is the futuristic depiction of how life is now.The wealthy are treated as if they were kings and queens while the poor are given less attention.You'll know what I'm talking about once you see the film.But what I didn't like that much in Elysium though is that it recycled one main theme from District 9 and that is equality.The film also aimed at equality like D9 did.Replacing humans and aliens with the poor and the rich persons.But I understand it,I think Neill Blompkamp did that intentionally.Maybe he's just a very realistic person,who thinks too political.I respect him though.

Direction/Director's Effort:

Neill Blompkamp made District 9 a masterpiece by having Peter Jackson's name plastered all over it and by having a strong script and plot.However,that's not what happens with Elysium despite having Hollywood A-stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster's name being mentioned in every marketing material.What happens with the film is that it had a quite decent plot but almost weak execution,almost no originality and the script was kinda dull in some points.All I could say to him is that,sure he made a good job but he should've kept it better,'cause Elysium for me is a letdown after District 9's massive success.On the other side of the road though,as mentioned above,I liked how me made the film realistic and gritty.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PROS:

>Sharlto Copley and Jodie Foster's performances are outstanding

>Gritty and realistic,making it non-mainstream but still a decent Sci-Fi

 film

>Damon was quite good,his character Max Da Costa was interesting.

CONS:

>The film's plot/concept sure is interesting,but wasn't executed well.

>Lacks action
 
>Some characters feel like cardboards and have no depth
>Some moments in throughout the movie have been seen before in past films.
>Script not written well

>Damon's acting felt reminiscent.

Verdict: Elysium may be one of this year's interesting films,but it almost fails to deliver.It lacks action,and the film may not be original but at least it redeems itself thanks to Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley who both gave fantastic performances.



Elysium gets 7.1 over 10 stars.

*Elysium is still showing in theaters nationwide and is rated PG-13 by the MTRCB theatrically distributed by Columbia Pictures Philippines.

**Want more Sci-Fis? Check out Oblivion,Total Recall (Original and Remake),Star Trek (2009),Star Trek Into Darkness and G.I Joe: Rise of Cobra/G.I Joe: Retaliation.All available to own on DVD for home viewing distributed by Magnavision Home Video.

That's all folks,thanks for reading this review and see ya soon 'til the next FilmReview.This has been TheMovieGeek.

But before I say goodbye in this review,check out this clip from the film first:




(c) 2013 TriStar Pictures/Columbia Pictures.

FilmReviews: The Conjuring

I just watched The Conjuring last night which was treated to me by one of my friends,but before I saw it last night in the cinema,I have seen this 4 times already via online streaming.I promised myself though to not make a review for this until I see it properly in theaters or original DVD.Thankfully,I was able to see it last night in theaters thanks to one of my friends.So here it is now,my review for The Conjuring.But before I start this review,I'll give away few details regarding the film.The Conjuring is a supernatural horror movie directed by James Wan (Insidious/Saw) and stars Vera Farmiga (Orphan/TV's Bates Motel),Patrick Wilson (Insidious/Watchmen),Lilli Taylor (TV's Six Feet Under/The Haunting) and Ron Livingston.

One last thing,before we start this review up,here are the factors that would make this a film review:

>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

So,without further adieu,let's begin.

Story/Plot:

You may see in marketing materials that The Conjuring is based on the true case files of The Warrens,well it really is.And the film is really hard to believe that it is based on true events for those events were disturbing and devastating.Just in case you don't know,The Conjuring tells the real life events of paranormal investigators Ed & Lorraine Warren and their investigation of a family's dark,mysterious farmhouse wherein they feel terrorized.So okay,the plot sounds familiar but it's a nice thing how the screenwriters were able to tell the story effectively despite the redundance of plot.But on the other side,this is a true story anyway and the events seen on film are devastating enough to be seen in real life.For those who are wondering if the Annabelle doll has massive effect in the film's story,well it really doesn't.It only appeared in the opening scene of the film to introduce Ed & Lorraine Warren and their earlier cases.The film's story is somewhat flawed whether it is about the film's plot redundancy,the happy ending and more.But regarding the people ranting about the happy ending,I disagree with 'em.Even though this is a dark horror movie,it doesn't mean it should have an ending where everyone dies and such.I thought that the ending was relieving since it was disturbing to see the family getting terrorized and shit.The ending was in fact,a breath of fresh air from all the scary shit that happened all throughout the film.Well,that's just my opinion.For those who thought that the plot is redundant,I agree and you got a point due to the fact this is indeed is another haunted house movie only this was crafted much better than any of the PA movies nor Mama.But like I've been saying moments ago,this is a true story and the haunted horror movie tropes are unavoidable in terms of it being repetitive again in this film.Well,I'm just glad that the screenwriters chose a new case not the never-ending Amityville case that has been made into films to the death.The Conjuring's plot may be very familiar,but at least it succeeds in making it work well.I just have to say that the screenwriters did an excellent job in adapting another real life devastating supernatural case that does not regard the Amityville into a film.

Acting/Performances:

All I could say about The Conjuring's acting,is that the cast's performances were pretty good, not great but still outstanding.My favorite performance in the film perhaps was Lilli Taylor's.I thought that she had nice acting in playing the mother,specially during the times when she gets into weird situations such as her falling off the stairs heading straight to the cellar then she lights a match and the match starts to flick off when someone or something clapped.Her facial expression was just priceless,she looked authentically scared and clueless.But I loved her acting even more when her character got possessed.It seems like she researched The Exorcist really well 'cause she sorta had that Regan MacNeil feel to her performance in that said scene.Nonetheless,her performance was pretty good,and I would like to give her a thumbs up.For Vera Farmiga & Patrick Wilson,I thought they were both quite decent in their acting,plus their characters were interesting.Specially Vera's.I thought that her character is interesting noting that she was a clarevoyant.As for Patrick Wilson's he did well too but I just felt that his character had a role reversal from Insidious.Instead of him being the main character who gets haunted,he gets to play one of the paranormal investigators.But all the while,their duo was good.It was fun to see them onscreen.For the child actresses in the film,their performance was pretty good.My favorite child performance would be from Joey King.Her acting was pretty nice and applausable in the scene where the door slams shut.She felt all creepy and added more thrill to that scene.All I could say about The Conjuring's performances is that while some dialogue in the film are very generic in other horror films,the actors were still able to show off their acting skills neatly thus all did good a job in playing their respective roles.

Miscellaneous:

The Conjuring is particularly set in the early 70s and the cinematography,music,set design and everything else made it feel so 70s.The cinematography got me hooked,it was really beautiful and so is the lighting.It was as if the film was filtered to look like a 70s horror film.The result was a beautifully creepy color tone to the film.Also one of the contributing factors of what made the movie great was of course,the music.Joseph Bishara's score was very eerie which added intensity and scariness to the film.The set design was very 70s.From the farmhouse to the furniture.Everything was so old school cool.And yeah,that cellar might be one of the most reminding bits of the film.That cellar was so freakin' creepy.Thumbs up to the set designers for designing that.Some thought that The Conjuring was another ol' haunted horror house movie with generic plot and everything else but for me,I look at it as two things: a haunted house horror movie and also a kind of a tribute to 70s horror films.Since the film was loosely based on the true story,they must've had to add/replace some things from the true story.What I'm getting at here is that,the film borrowed huge elements from 70s horror movies such as The Exorcist,The Amityville,etc.The result was great,and still effective regarding scares.Particularly the entire possession thing and all the other creepy stuff this film was stuffed with.The Conjuring's vibe and atmosphere was dim to dark.Dim when the film opens but as the film progresses,it just gets darker and darker.Which is also one of the main reasons that made me love it.The atmosphere will get you hooked and once you're hooked,you may never get out.The dark atmosphere of the film will latch onto you until the credits roll.Speaking of the credits,the end credits played in silence which made it also creepy.So if you're asking if the film is scary,my answer would definitely be yes.It is both scary and terrifying.You won't be disappointed.

Direction/Director's Effort:

All I could say is that James Wan really outdid himself in making The Conjuring.It perhaps was better than his previous effort Insidious back in 2010 but it can still be debatable whether which is scarier,this or Insidious.But for now,my pick would be The Conjuring since this is based on true events while Insidious is based on a screenplay meaning the events in The Conjuring are more likely to happen rather than those in Insidious.For The Conjuring,I would like to give James Wan two thumbs up for delivering what may be one of the best horror films of this decade and by making this genuinely scary.

Overall:

Despite borrowing from the playbooks of 70s horror films,The Conjuring still delivers effective scares and thrills on its' own.It's a worthy cinematic experience that will make you jump out of your seat a few times.It's definitely a must see specially for horror movie lovers and might also be one of the best films of this year so far.Two thumbs up to James Wan.

The Conjuring gets 7.8 over 10 stars.




*The Conjuring is still playing in selected theaters nationwide distributed theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures (Philippines) and rated R-13 by the MTRCB.

**Catch James Wan's next horror film Insidious Chapter 2.Opens Sept.18 to be theatrically distributed by  Columbia Pictures Philippines.

***Want more horror films? Check out Evil Dead (2013),The Shining,The Exorcist,Poltergeist,A Nightmare On Elm Street and Mama.All available to own on DVD distributed by  Magnavision Home Video.

For now,why not check out this clip from The Conjuring?



Video clip courtesy of Warner Bros.Pictures & Movieclips.com.All rights reserved.

That's it folks! Stay tuned for my next FilmReview.Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

*The Conjuring.TM 2013 Warner Bros.Pictures*

DVD Haul: August 18,2013,July 27,2013 & July Something Something 2013.

Well,it's been a very long time ever since I've made the last of this series of posts and now I'm back with 7 DVDs to show you.Those seven DVDs are (in alphabetical order): Dreamgirls,Evil Dead (2013),Flight,Oblivion,Rocky,The Bridge On The River Kwai and The Exorcist.Now,Imma show them to you according to the dates I bought 'em.

DVDs I bought July Something Something 2013:

Well,yeah I intended it to sound like that since I really forgot when I bought the DVDs that day.Ugh.

First up is...



Dreamgirls which is directed by Bill Condon and stars Jamie Foxx,Beyonce' Knowles,Eddie Murphy,Danny Glover,Jennifer Hudson & Anika Noni Rose.The film tells the story of a trio of black female soul singers and their cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s.The film won 2 Oscars for Best Achievement In Sound Mixing (Michael Minkler,Bob Beemer & Willie D. Burton) and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Jennifer Hudson).Actually,this DVD isn't really mine instead,it's my big bro's (He's a huge Beyonce' fan) but since it's located in my DVD rack,it's also partly mine.You know what I mean? Anyway,my first impression on the film is that it's gonna be good and just fun.Dreamgirls is available on DVD for P100.

Next up is...Rocky.



Thank God I finally found this film sold individually from a box set.I've been looking this up ever since.And now,I've finally got a hold of the undisputed champion's first outing in my DVD collection.Behold Rocky! Rocky is directed by John G.Avildsen and stars Sylvester Stallone,Talia Shire,Burt Young,Carl Weathers,Burgess Meredith and Thayer David.Rocky tells the story of a small-time boxer who gets a supremely rare chance to fight the heavy-weight champion in a bout in which he strives to go to the distance for his self-respect.Rocky won 3 Oscars for Best Director (John G.Avildsen),Best Film Editing (Richard Halsey,Scott Conrad) and Best Picture (Irvin Winkler,Robert Chartoff).I've been told that this sports-drama film is one of the most inspiring ever and I think I would have to agree with that saying even though I haven't seen it yet.Anyway,this film launched Sly to Hollywood fame and is considered as one of the best films you should see before you die.Rocky is available on DVD for P175-P199 depending on where you purchase it.

DVD I bought last July 27,2013:

Well,I only bought one DVD that day and it is...

The Exorcist:

Ahh yes.The Exorcist is also one of those hard-to-find movies on DVD and thank God I got mine.It's the only remaining copy in the store I bought from.The Exorcist is directed by William Friedkin and stars Max von Sydow,Ellen Burstyn,Linda Blair,Lee J.Cobb,Kitty Winn,Jack MacGowran and Jason Miller.Too bad,this version of the film isn't the director's cut which spans a runtime of 132 minutes and includes additional footage.Still,it's great to finally have this in my hands.The Exorcist is available on DVD for P199.

DVDs I bought last August 18,2013.

Last August 18,I bought 4 DVDs.3 modern films,1 classic.Here they are:

Evil Dead (2013)

Well,it's been said to be "The most terrifying film you will ever experience." well,I have to see it first for me to believe that statement.But judging from the cover and the marketing material,it already seems to be terrifying due to all the blood.The film is both remake slash re-imagining of the 1981 Sam Raimi horror classic and since I watched the cult-classic Evil Dead 2,I can't wait to see this for its'new darker modern spin on the horror classic that spawned two successful sequels.Evil Dead is available on DVD for P550,which is included in Magnavision's Buy 2 Take 1 promo.

Flight


 

TIME Magazine says that Flight "soars",well I couldn't agree more.The film is actually great and I might say it's underrated.The film doesn't seem to get much attention because people these days love CG-action fests but to those who would watch any type of movie (specially dramas),Flight definitely comes in recommended.I wouldn't say any more because I'm saving them all for the review,but all I could say is that this film truly is great but sadly underrated.Flight is available on DVD for P475 and is also included in Magnavision's Buy 2 Take 1 promo.

Oblivion

Oblivion might be one of my favorite films of this year probably because I loved the cinematography and the film itself despite the lack of action.But it's all okay.I loved this film for what it was,and in my perspective I look up to it as a modern tribute to Science Fiction films both old and new.And one of the main reasons why I loved this movie is also because of the human drama to it.That's all.All I could say is that this is also a good movie but it's up to you whether you'll like it or not.I can't wait to see this movie again on DVD.By the way,I love that slipcover despite it being not shiny like the one I imagined.I still love it though,it adds value to the item.Oblivion is available on DVD for P750 and is also included in Magnavision's Buy 2 Take 1 Promo.

The Bridge On The River Kwai



This film was recommended to me by one of my moviegeek friends Kuya Dom,so I decided to get it for a cheap price of P100.Great price,great film.I really don't doubt that this is a great one,'cause it's directed by the man who helmed Lawrence of Arabia which sadly,until I haven't seen due to schedule conflicts.Back to topic,this looks like a great addition to my war films section in my collection.David Lean's The Bridge On River Kwai is available to own on DVD for P100.

Well,that's the end of the list.Those are my 7 "not so recently" purchased movies on DVD.I suppose this is a very late post,pardon me but I'll see ya til the next DVD Haul Update.Thanks for reading.

*Dreamgirls,The Exorcist,Evil Dead,Flight,Oblivion and The Bridge On The River Kwai are all available to own on DVD distributed for home viewing by  Magnavision Home Video.

**Rocky is available on DVD distributed by Viva Video Inc.

FilmReviews: Pitch Perfect

Get Pitch Slapped.

Yesterday's afternoon,I watched Pitch Perfect to avoid the negativity the rain has brought and after watching it,it brought me nothing but good vibes and fun.Pitch Perfect is a very fun and entertaining film for the ladies but males might even like it for its' irresistible feel-good vibe and sing-song entertainment.The film is directed by Jason Moore (TV's Dawson's Creek/One Tree Hill),written by Kay Cannon (screenplay) and Mickey Rapkin (based on the book) and stars Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air,50/50),Skylar Astin (21 and Over),Ben Platt,Brittany Snow (Prom Night/Hairspray),Anna Camp (The Help),Rebel Wilson (Pain & Gain/Bridesmaids),Alexis Knapp (PROJECT X),Ester Dean & Adam DeVine.




Before we start,let me show you the contributing factor of what makes this a review:

>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

Let's start this review up.

Story:

Pitch Perfect's story tells about college freshman Beca who gets cajoled in joining The Bellas,her university's all-girls singing group.Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.So,that's Pitch Perfect's simple cutesy plot.But basically,I think of it as Glee meets Mean Girls.The simple storyline may be overused,but in Pitch Perfect it still is pretty effective.Especially for its' cute execution of the plot.So,in my own words,I would have to say that even the simplest of things can be effective and Pitch Perfect was able to prove this.Of all,Pitch Perfect is like Glee,in a good way.It wasn't too corny and it was all just clean fun.

Acting/Performances:

The performances from the cast were not Oscar worthy but still stands out.Don't expect the singing to be like Les Miserables' nor Dreamgirls.I thought that Anna Kendrick's character was a little likeable specially during the grand slam finale.Her acting wasn't dull,I thought that she did a nice job.Skylar Astin plays Jesse,the protagonist's love interest who also joins one of the school's singing groups The Treblemakers.Skylar's role was portrayed nicely.He stood out among the others (IMO) mainly because of his charm.His singing is quite good.Anna Camp portrays Aubrey who's head of The Bellas,performs the same dumb song then still hopes to win until the newbies came.Anna Camp's character was competitive and faithful and I thought that she was able to represent those traits well.Her singing was a little beautiful and pleasing.Brittany Snow meanwhile plays Chloe,Aubrey's second in command who is a little less competitive than her commander.She was right in her role and her singing's a little outstanding too.While most may have loved Rebel Wilson here,I was a little irritated of her.Sure,her lines were damn funny and heightened the film's humor a little bit more but at times,I felt that she was a little annoying.Well,that's just my opinion.Her singing may be the thing that irritated me,specially when she goes all out on the semi-finals.Plus,she almost ruined the routine at the film's finale.Sigh.Rapper Ester Dean's singing is what I praised the most,her voice was gripping and just so likeable.Specially when she raps at the end.And when she performs Rihanna's S&M at the Riff-Off.Last performance I would talk about would be Adam DeVine's.He wasn't that likeable and I didn't like his singing that much but he was still pretty good.Much of like how I felt for Rebel Wilson.Pitch Perfect may not have well-known stars but these fresh faces tend to pay off specially with their singing.The dialogue is well written,it wasn't clumsy and some of the jokes were genuinely funny.

Miscellaneous:

Your favorite songs both old and new are about to be heard in Pitch Perfect once again,but this time it's revamped for the new age.Songs like the hit Madonna track Like A Virgin are heard in the film acapella style.And it's just really pleasing to hear those tracks in a new style.The film's cinematography wasn't something special,I noticed nothing unusual.As for the music,it was very energetic and good-vibe inducing.Specially the hip new rendition of Rihanna's S&M and Pitbull's Give Me Everything.For the film's highlight,The Riff-Off,I thought that it needed to be prolonged specially in the "Ladies of the 80s" part.It just really needed more.But the good new rendition of Blackstreet's hit single No Diggity is just really hip and fit that scene's finale perfectly.The film's casting was just right,fresh faces with talents was just the right combination.For the film's feel,it will definitely give you good vibes from start to finish.It's pure clean acapella fun for everyone.Thus,I recommend you to watch this when you are stressed,'cause this is a great fun stress reliever.

Direction/Director's Effort:

For director Jason Moore,all I have to say is that he did a wonderful job in making Pitch Perfect wholly fun and entertaining.He found the right cast,made genuinely laughable gags/jokes,chose a wonderful selection of music and most of all,he made Pitch Perfect a combination of Glee and Mean Girls.If he's up for a sequel,I hope he makes better effort and once again,chooses a nice selection of music and maybe add some more well-known stars.

Overall:

Pitch Perfect is totally fun,totally entertaining and just really really wonderful.The characters are lovable,the vibe is really good and the film itself is just undeniably cool so to speak.If you haven't seen the film,I definitely recommend this to you specially if you love music.You'll definitely get pitch-slapped.

Pitch Perfect hits a note of 7.5




*Own Pitch Perfect on DVD & Blu-Ray today.Distributed by Magnavision Home Video.
**Want more fun teen films? Try Fun Size,Mean Girls & Footlose.And something for the much matured teens: 21 Jump Street,Bad Teacher,Superbad & Project X.All available on DVD distributed by Magnavision Home Video.

That's it folks.Thanks for reading and see ya soon until the next FilmReview.

For now,check out this film clip from Pitch Perfect:



Video clip courtesy of Universal Pictures.

(C)2012 Universal Pictures/Gold Circle Films.

FilmReviews: Hugo

"Come Dream With Me."

-Georges Melies' (Played by Ben Kingsley)

That's exactly Hugo (the film) wants you to do.It wants you to dream...And today,I just experienced a miraculously magical movie today called Hugo,I have to say that it was great all the way around.In other words,I just watched Hugo today and I had a wonderful good time.Like any review,here I will tell you my thoughts/insights about the film,but before telling 'em,I'll just give you few details about the film.Hugo is directed by Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver/Raging Bull/The Departed) and stars Asa Butterfield (The Boy In The Striped Pajamas),Ben Kingsley (Schindler's List/Gandhi),Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass/Let Me In) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Les Miserables).The film Hugo is based on the 2007 book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" which was written by Brian Selznick.Selznick also wrote the screenplay for the film along with John Logan.Hugo won 5 Oscars at the 85th Academy Awards including Best Cinematography,Best Art Direction,Best Visual Effects,Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.

Now,let me tell you what I thought about the film.Here are some contributing factors:
>Story
>Acting/Performances
>Visuals/Music/Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

Let's start.

Story:

Hugo had  a simple plot that tells about an orphan who resides in the walls of a train station and gets wrapped up in a mystery that involves his late father and an automaton.However,if you carefully tear the main story apart,you will find more sub-stories about the film's different characters.First is of course,Hugo's story that involves his father and the automaton his dad left him,second would be George Melies' painful past and present and third would be about the early age of film.But if you piece them all together,it results into one great story about broken dreams,finding a home and settling down.I loved in the film how they told those three stories.First half of the film gave emphasis on the titular orphan Hugo,and the second half focused on the automaton Hugo has and the message it delivers that involves George Melies.But once the story becomes full circle and once it focuses on George Melies' life,it just becomes better and better until it reaches the end.In the end,Martin Scorsese and the writers gave us a bloodless film replaced with heart and emotion that still results into brilliance.

Acting/Performances:

First of all,in case you noticed,for a Scorsese film,Hugo wasn't star-studded.In fact,the only star-power it had was Ben Kingsley,who plays George Melies.However,even Kingsley was the only "star" it had,the performances from the fresh cast still doesn't fail to impress.In my opinion,I thought that Asa Butterfield was perfect in playing Hugo.He delivered his lines emotionally and sometimes he somehow hypnotizes you to make you sad just like his character feels.I thought that even though he isn't shining bright in the limelight yet,he is an excellent actor despite the fact that he is still a child.He was exceptional in the film and I thought that he can compete against Hailee Steinfeld from 2010's True Grit.Chloe Grace Moretz plays Isabelle,a bookworm.I thought that Chloe's character felt like Hermione once again in the HP films nonetheless,she was still great and perfect.In fact,I loved her "seeking for adventure" behavior.Now let's get on to Ben Kingsley...Mr.Kingsley was just really terrific in this film,he gave a strong emotional performance to his character George Melies',a washed-up film director who gave up his career.You could just really feel his sadness and pain throughout the film.I have to say,Ben Kingsley was the right choice for the role.Bravo for him.Let's get on to the supporting cast...For the supporting cast they were still fine.Specially Jude Law despite his very short screentime.For the film's dialogue,it never felt cheesy and sappy instead,it always stood strong and highly emotional.Specially Hugo's lines and Georges'.All in all,Hugo doesn't need star powered performances to excel,it really is reliable to the fresh faces and the veteran.Thus,the acting/performances were never a let down.Same with the script written,which was well-written indeed.
Visuals/Music/Miscellaneous:

Of all you need to know,Hugo is CGI-heavy,but the CGI is all properly executed.The CGI is what makes Hugo one of the best film experiences I've ever had.It truly is a visual spectacle that definitely needs to be seen in 3D.Too bad I wasn't able to.The special effects in the film were outstanding,everything looked like the real thing.Specially 1930s France.It was modeled perfectly and really looked like the early FranceThe film just imagines what amazing things what CGI can do if used properly.For the 3D,I have to say that this was designed to be seen in the said format.The 3D would immerse you into the world of Hugo,and the 3D enhances the film's greatness and visual effects.No doubt it won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.Kudos to the VFX crew for dazzling us with jaw-dropping visuals.Hugo's cinematography was fine,the way the camera moved around was great particularly during the opening scene where Hugo runs through the train station.And the scene where the illustration papers were flying around.Needless to say,the cinematography was great and it deserved to win.Howard Shore once again brings us another piece of  orchestral art by composing the score for Hugo.Hugo's marvelous score entices our ears by amazingly blending in with the film's tone.The score's tone blended perfectly with the film's vibe and the music sometimes affects the emotions of the viewers.I know it sounds akward to say this,but this is the truth: Hugo had spectacular visuals that will deceive your eye and music that will please your ears.Direction/Director's Effort:

Martin Scorsese directed Hugo quite well.He wound up as the perfect director for the film by picking a talented fresh cast,amazing story-telling,and by delivering amazing dazzling visuals that serves as a nice competitor to Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin.But I have to say that Hugo was better but still,Tintin is one of my faves.I loved how Martin Scorsese made Hugo as a story of a lone orphan slash story of a has-been movie director slash tribute to the early age of cinema.Even though Hugo isn't like any of the other classic Scorsese films,it still pays up to be one.And I now consider it as one of the director's finest films in the modern era of his career.Martin Scorsese may have made Hugo one of his best films in the modern age ever since The Departed.But of course,Hugo is still uncomparable to his early masterpieces Taxi Driver and GoodFellas and Raging Bull as well.

Overall:

Hugo may be dazzling,but you shouldn't focus much on the eye-candy visuals 'cause it still has an amazing story to offer rather than that.The emotional performances will move you and so does the film.Hugo indeed is an artsy dream filled with dazzlement and heartful emotions.It may be considered as Scorsese's Avatar due to the heavy amount of wow-inducing visuals.

Hugo gets 8.3 stars over 10 and it definitely comes in as highly recommended.It indeed is one of my favorite films.




*Looking for more dazzling visual spectacles like this? Try 2001: A Space Odyssey,The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Star Trek (2009).Available to own on DVD & Blu-Ray distributed by  Magnavision Home Video.

**Want to watch more of the legendary director's work? Try the gangster-drama The Departed,the saga of crime and corruption in Vegas which is Casino and the ever-unforgettable Taxi Driver.Available today on DVD & Blu-Ray distributed by Magnavision Home Video.
Thanks for reading this review and see  you soon until the next FilmReview.

Watch this clip from the film for now:




(C)2011 Paramount Pictures/GK Films