Last Wednesday, the organizers of the New York Film Festival announced there will be a special “work in progress” screening to take place on the following Monday, October 10th. They didn’t announce what the film would be but they teased it by saying it was a movie that would come out later this year and it was by a legendary master filmmaker. That’s it! Tickets went on sale to the general public on that Friday, October 7th, and if you were a member of Lincoln Center then it would go on sale for you on that Thursday, October 6th. Now I am not a member of Lincoln Center, although I would like to be if my cash flow was right, so I had to buy my ticket on October 7th at 9:30AM, when the box office opened. So that’s exactly what I did. I bought a ticket to a movie I didn’t know the title to.
The excitement was killing me! There was speculation that the movie in question was going to be David Fincher’s “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”. The festival premièred Fincher’s last film, “The Social Network” and a lot of the film’s showcased at this year’s film festival were from Sony, which is releasing “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”. I was skeptical because as much as I love David Fincher, I wouldn’t consider him legendary or a master filmmaker, not yet anyway. Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar” and Wong Kar-Wai’s “The Grandmasters” were also being rumored to be featured for the secret “work in progress” screening. But what it turned out to be was something far more special, Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo”.
Now mind you, what was presented was definitely a “work in progress”. The score didn’t go through its final mix, although there was a great rough score by the composer Howard Shore, the special effects were not finished, a lot of which were still in its pre-vis (previsualization) state and some of the action sequences were not finished in terms of editing. This, of course, will not be the case with the final product when it is completed and released on November 23rd. As of now and the screening, I don’t think it’s fair to review an unfinished film but I will say this, “Hugo” is worth watching. And what was finished for this screening was truly special. Scorsese has a way of conveying such grand emotion and world building even in a rough capacity, which lends to the master filmmaker title.
The screening took place at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City and part of the whole Lincoln Center complex. Avery Fisher Hall has an almost romantic feeling to it, and add the mystique of New York City and you have an idea what’s in store for you. This was the perfect site for this movie by summing it by saying charming and magical. The performances were great and pitch perfect. A big stand out, in terms of magnitude and height, was Sasha Baron Cohen as the train terminal inspector. He steals the show by adding the perfect amount of comedy. And someone who isn’t a big fan of 3D, I must say see this one in 3D. It adds so much to the film and what Scorsese is trying to go for with subject matter and the audience.
I’m not going to go on by giving you a plot synopsis or what worked and what didn’t, I feel that will start to go into reviewing territory, remember this is only a reaction to the screening and the movie. But what Scorsese delivers in “Hugo” is a love letter to the early days of cinema, and who he delivers it to is for the children who are going to see it this November. Instilling that kind of love and reverence to cinema and movies at an early age is important to the art form. Moreover, the importance to film preservation and restoration is an invaluable lesson to learn as a way to how to view these rare pieces of art and what it can mean to your childhood and life.
Here are a few Twitter reactions to other film bloggers at the “Work In Progress” screening in New York:
Matt Patches, Movies Editor of Hollywood.com
“Really enjoyed #Hugo. Not a kid’s movie, but a movie to help kids fall in live with cinema. Spectacular 3D. More thoughts when I get home!”
David Ehrlich, Writer for Movies.com and Box Office Magazine
“In-depth discussion re: how HUGO validates 3D (in some respects) & speaks to visual currency in the digital age must wait till November.”
Katie Calautti, Writer for MTV Movies Blog and SpinoffOnline.com
“I didn’t think Hugo was perfect, but it has its Cinema Paradiso-esqe moments. #NYFF”
Angie Han, Writer for SlashFilm.com
“Hugo has flaws. But I loved it. Haven’t felt that good walking out of a theater since Midnight in Paris.”
Jordan Raup, Editor-In-Chief of TheFilmStage.com
“Hugo: Only Scorsese could pull off a lesson on film preservation and film history 101 with a family movie. Quite an achievement. #NYFF”
Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” opens nationwide on November 23rd in 3D.
by @Rudie_Obias
