Scorsese's tribute to film told through a charming story.

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2012)

I didn't see this in 3D, yet it was still visually stunning. Machinery and snowflakes, steam engines and antiquarian shop keepers and an orphan boy whose gift is also his passion and the implied question at the heart of the film. The ingenious and breathtaking sets did not overwhelm the human element. The audience could pick up hints of how the plot just might unfold, and was rewarded with seeing some loose ends tied up in a sweet but not saccharin way.
The cast was uniformly excellent. The script and direction allowed each character to have time in the spotlight, and, despite the number of speaking parts, the speaking characters seemed fully rounded. This film had all the magic of the cinema, including the magic that comes from being slightly enigmatic. Best of all, The audience was not spoon-fed tidy endings; we had to spot them for ourselves and still wonder exactly when and how this or that was resolved. Scorsese avoided the cliché of telling us what each character's future would be.
Not a film for children- one for adults who still believe that cinema can be magic.