Hugo (2011) [PG] *****

Set in wintertime in Paris of the 1930s, this is the multi-layered story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) a teenage orphan boy who lives a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station, where he maintains the station's clocks, as his father and uncle did before him. Hugo believes that if he can find a heart-shaped key and activate the human-like automaton his father had found and fixed, its actions will contain a message that will help him understand why his father died.

While trying to evade the Station Inspector (Sasha Baron Cohen) who will send him to an orphanage, Hugo meets Papa Georges Melies (Ben Kingsley), the cranky old man who runs a little toy shop inside the train station, and Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz) Papa Georges' delightful young goddaughter. Hugo and Isabelle go on adventures in the train station, and when Isabelle's heart-shaped key starts Hugo's automaton, the two make an incredible discovery about Papa Georges.

The film is remarkable in every respect, from the intricate but smoothly-unfolding screenplay by John Logan, based on Brian Selznick's captivating and imaginative New York Times bestseller The Invention of Hugo Cabret, to Martin Scorsese's brilliant direction, the outstanding performances by leads and supporting cast, the costumes and sets, the seamless blending of live-action and computer animation, and the wonderful soundtrack. Hugo is a feast for the senses; the film won five Oscars at the 2012 Academy Awards, and was nominated for six more Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. 

Labels: adventure, drama, family, fantasy, mystery
Internet Movie Database  
Metacritic 83/100  
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=83, viewers=78)  
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