Hugo review

 Number 698 on the top 1000 films of all time is Martin Scorsesee's 2011 historical drama 'Hugo.'

Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is an orphan who lives in the clocktower of the Parisian Gare Montparnasse railway station. Before his father (Jude Law) died in a fire, the two of them were restoring an automaton that they found in the back of a museum. In honour of his dad, Hugo resolves to finish fixing the robot by stealing parts notably from cantankerous toyshop owner Georges (Ben Kingsley,) while being aided by Georges' goddaughter Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz) and librarian Monsieur Labisse (Christopher Lee.) Meanwhile, Hugo has to avoid being caught by station inspector Gustave Daste (Sacha Baron Cohen) who will send him to the orphanage.

If you had told me this was a Martin Scorsesee film, I would never have believed you. There's no mafia, no profuse use of the F word, no Leonardo Dicaprio and no Robert De Niro. Yet Scorsesee has still lovingly crafted a creative, engrossing story with lovely visuals and a great cinematography. At the end of the day, he is a film director and lover of film, so it's no surprise that he took to this film with such ardent fervour. And film is at the heart of Hugo. Upon fixing the automaton, Hugo stumbles upon a mystery that goes all the way back to the birth of cinema, tying together elements like the Lumiere Brothers, Georges Meliet and the famous film 'A Trip to the Moon.'

The ensemble cast were all very good together. Asa Butterfield has grown up a little from his leading role in the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Ben Kingsley is always great regardless of whatever he is in and Sacha Baron Cohen brought a frenetic energy and mischief to his role. The only one I was less sure about was Chloe Grace Moretz. As an American, she obviously had to put on a British accent, but it sounded very put on. Maybe because it was the stereotypical posh accent that Americans do whenever they're playing British characters.

Nevertheless, this was a very entertaining film. It was creative with a great cast and it serves as proof that Scorsesee can do a lot more than just mob films.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas review

 Number 474 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Holocaust film the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (TBITSP.)

Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is an eight-year old boy from WW2 Berlin. When his father, SS officer Ralf (David Thewlis) is promoted, the family move to Poland where their new home borders a concentration camp. The adventurous Bruno discovers the camp and befriends another eight-year-old boy Schmuel (Jack Sanlon,) with neither boy aware of their true predicament.

Would it be fair to character this film as the Holocaust equivalent of Braveheart? Entertaining? Yes. Tragic? Most definitely. Historically accurate? Not so much. But I don't think that really mattered. This film isn't about being historically accurate; it's about retelling the horrors of the Holocaust from the perspective of childhood and the innocence that entails.

Since starting this challenge, I've seen my fair share of holocaust/WW2 films and they've all broken my heart. TBITSP didn't quite reach those levels, but it was still very powerful. And that could be down to how it was underplayed. Whereas films like The Pianist portray the unflinching brutality of the Holocaust, TBITSP is far more subtle. If you're going to tackle an issue as big as the Holocaust, I am adamant that you have to go hard or go home - anything else would be an insult. However, the understated nature of TBITSP made it very upsetting.

We see everything through the eyes of Bruno - at only eight he is too young to fully understand the complexities of the Holocaust. Even when Ralf hires a tutor, Bruno questions all of the propaganda he is being taught. Bruno's parents are keen to hide the truth from him, which I did find puzzling. I'm no expert, but I thought that children of Nazis would be brainwashed by anti-semitic propaganda from as soon as they could walk, but I guess this does make Bruno all the more innocent. The scenes where he is conversing with Schmuel, with neither boy fully understanding their situation, are laden with a subtext, and a dramatic irony that are impossible to ignore. Bruno thinks the prisoners are wearing pyjamas and having fun in a holiday camp while Schmuel thinks he'll be going home soon.

The illusion shatters in the worst possible way when Bruno burrows into the camp to help Schmuel find his father. Here Bruno's ideas are turned on their head. He discovers that there is no cafe and the inmates don't spend their time playing football. The film hurtles toward a shocking and distressing conclusion as all of the prisoners, including Schmuel and Bruno, are taken to the showers. The boys hold hands as the lights go out. For a film that is so understated, they nailed the ending. Hearing the prisoners screaming in the black was so much more terrifying than seeing their mangle corpses.

Lastly, I have to praise Rupert Friend who played the villainous Lieutenant Kurt Kotler. He was terrific as the sociopathic, boot-licking subordinate of Ralf. One minute he is all cute with Bruno and getting cosy with Bruno's older sister, the next, Kurt is beating a house slave for knocking over a glass of wine. Poor Pavel.

Although TBITSP isn't particularly realistic, it more than makes up for it with its subtle nature and ominous dramatic irony.