My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I remember watching and really enjoying the movie Hugo several years ago. It was a fun, historical adventure with heart and wonder. It also featured A Trip to the Moon, which is a silent film I've always loved and watched hundreds of times.
During the 1930s, Hugo lives inside a train station in Paris with his uncle. Well, he did until he disappeared. Now, Hugo is left alone and keeps all the clocks in the station oiled, tuned and on time. He steals when he needs to, can't stop thinking about his father, and is convinced an automaton holds a special message from him.
He leads a secret and lonely life. Until he meets the grumpy old man who runs a toy booth, and befriends the man's goddaughter. After that, his life is changed forever...
Wow. This was such a beautiful, yet heartbreaking book. It's beautiful because the illustrations are so detailed, the photos so cool, and the story so full of wonder. It's magical and really captures the magic of movies as they were when the industry first began. As well as the marvellous world of clockwork toys and machines.
Hugo's life isn't an easy one, and all the characters have their own issues to deal with, but that sadness is so often overshadowed by the kid's attitude. His hope that as long as he remains his own secret, holds on to his father's notebook and fixes the only possession that means anything to him--the mechanical man--everything will be okay. And when he loses one of those treasures, he finds out that life sometimes has a weird way of working out.
Isabelle was such a cool character, too. She was clever, feisty, stubborn and so rebellious. Plus, she was caring and loyal, the best kind of friend for this lonely boy.
The portrayal of Georges Méliès and his wife, Jeanne, were also great. A grumpy old man with his own secrets and hidden pain, while his wife shelters and keeps his secrets buried. They were a nice old couple.
I loved how all of these moving parts worked so well together to become an interesting and intriguing book. Not to mention a stunning piece of art.
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