"Hugo" is a huge success

Martin Scorsese is not the first name to come to mind when one thinks of family films. "Hugo" is Scorsese's first venture into the genre, and he may have made a name for himself in the field. Scorsesehas created an exceptional film filled with great performances, rich characters and a sense of film history that truly shows the love he holds for the craft he has mastered for so many years.

"Hugo" takes place in a 1930's Paris railway station. Hugo Cabret, played byAsa Butterfield ("Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang" and "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"), is a young boy who lives in the walls and winds the clocks of the train station. After mysteriously losing his father, Jude Law ("Sherlock Holmes"), he is left with a strange machine called an automaton. This automaton is a wind-up man that can write a message, but it is broken.  Hugo then goes on a quest to find all the pieces needed to fix this machine, and figure out the possible message his father left behind for him.

Along the way he teams up with Isabelle, played by Chloë Grace Moretz ( "Let Me In"), who is an extremely book smart girl and happens to be the goddaughter of Papa Georges, portrayed by Sir Ben Kingsley ( "Schindler's List" and "Ghandi"). Papa Georges is an old man who runs a toy shop in the railway station that Hugo steals from. Georges takes a notebook from Hugo that contains important notes that will help fix the automaton. While on his quest, Hugo has to avoid being seen by train inspector Gustav, played by Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat" and "Brüno"), who will throw him into an orphanage if he is caught.

The best aspects about this movie are that the main themes of the importance of film preservation and film history are not forced on the audience. The characters slowly slip into these themes when Hugo starts to express how his father always took him to the movies and his favorite movie was "A Trip to the Moon," which plays a key role in the film. As they try to do more and more research on the mystery behind this automaton, they find a film history book and learn how  early film creators realized the impact movies can have on people.

These themes and magnificent writing are partly due to the award winning crew that put the film together. Director Martin Scorsese, who has made groundbreaking films such as "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas" as well as more recent films such as "The Departed" and "Shutter Island," is the founder of the film preservation organization The Film Foundation. Along with Scorsese is John Logan, who has also written screenplays for "The Aviator" and "Gladiator." Together, these two created an extremely real fantasy of a boy's quest to find not only the secrets behind this automaton, but his real purpose in life.

The weight of this story rests on the shoulders of an outstanding cast.  Some familiar Scorsese faces round out the minor characters, but the real stars are the two young actors in the lead roles.  Butterfield gives an impressive performance that shows ability well beyond his years.  Moretz, who has acted opposite such veterans as Nicholas Cage ("National Treasure" and "Ghost Rider") and Richard Jenkins ("Let Me In" and "Step Brothers"), has shown off her serious and comedic acting skills, both of which come into play in this film. Butterfield and Moretz even have some scenes with bookshop owner Monsieur Labisse, played by Christopher Lee, ("Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" and "Lord of the Rings") and his presence is evenly matched.

Although "Hugo" has the themes of film preservation and history hanging over its head, it is a delicate yet powerful story. The care paid to these characters will attach children and teenagers while the complex undertones will drag in adults of all ages. Overly sappy storytelling and cringe-worthy jokes have never been Scorsese's style, and he has definitely proven that he can make a tear-jerking family movie without them.

"Hugo" receives 4 out of 5 stars.

Originally posted HERE