Hugo

Martin Scorsese’s first foray in a more family oriented market (something his youngest daughter could watch, in his own words) brought us Hugo, a smart and interesting film that is quite original.

Synopsis: Hugo is an orphan who lives inside the walls of a huge Paris train station.  He keeps the station’s clocks running in stead of his uncle, who has disappeared.  Fascinated by an automaton, the only thing he has left of his father’s, he’ll embark on a great adventure with one of the station’s shopkeepers and his niece.

Given Hugo’s status as a dark horse in this year’s Oscars race for Best Picture, and the number of nominations and positive reviews it garnered, I was eager to see it.  I liked it, but I didn’t really fall in love with it, even though it is a small cinematic wonder.

Asa Butterfield, who plays the young Hugo, is a brilliant young actor, flanked by a similarly good Chloë Grace Moretz.  Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen, however, don’t particularly impress.

The visual effects are excellent and the cinematography, as we’ve come to expect from a Scorsese movie, is simply spectacular.  The editing, by Scorsese’s longtime collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker, is fantastic too.

The Bottom Line: While the movie might not endure in one’s consciousness, it is a very well crafted tale for the whole family and a great “stretch” for Scorsese’s artistic vein.

Grade: 8