Sunday, December 11, 2011

Hugo - Movie Review

★★★½

Starring Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ray Winstone, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlberg, Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths.
Directed by Martin Scorsese.

"I address you as you are: wizards and mermaids, travelers, adventurers; come and dream with me!"

In many ways, this "kids" movie is the one Martin Scorsese was born to direct. Based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, it's about a boy who winds the clocks at a Parisian train station long after his drunkard uncle has disappeared. He must avoid the station inspector, who likes to catch orphans like rats. Which is understandable. After all Hugo shoplifts his meals every day.

Hugo also steals parts here and there from the toy shop of Georges (Ben Kingsley). Hugo has an automoton from his late father, and he hopes when he fixes it, it will have a message for him.

The movie starts out with kid-movie trappings but the deeper into the story, the deeper the emotions run, and it becomes a tribute to the magic of moviemaking.

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