lose mom. lose dad. lose love and hope? NO!

Rating: 7/10 (24 December 2011)

there are two orphans in this movie, one lovable is Hugo, one to be easily hated, or at least disliked is the station inspector, amazingly played by no other than Sasha Baron Cohen. it takes some serious effort to feel empathy to the inspector, even when his circumstances become clearer in the course of the movie. did i say he acts amazingly? i mean it.
Asa Butterfield as Hugo (14, with few achievements on his belt, the most noticeable one being The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) is amazing, charming, kid that you want to hug and do whatever you can to make his life happier, easier, with more love and warmth. no wonder he is the chosen Ender Wiggin (Ender's Game to be released in March 2013).
why only a seven? first of all, the movie is too long for its scope. 15-20 minutes should have been left on the editing studio floor, to everyone's benefit. secondly, some characters are under developed, and the losers are us. Helen McCrory is one good example, in Mama Jeanne's role, is a great actress, with strong presence and charisma. Mama Jeanne however, is a quiet enabler, allowed to do her best acting with facial expressions mostly. i wanted more, and i believe the movie would have benefited from it. thirdly, the story, while being predominantly Hugo's story, is enhanced by supporting stories of other lonely people such as the inspector, the flower girl, the caf'e's owner... all want love, most still have hope. some develop as predictably as sunrise followed by a sunset. others develop with charm and warmth that add great value to the story. i wish they were ALL treated with the same sensitivity and insight demonstrated for the few. last, some characters are too flat, with an implied hint of depth, that is not delivered on. such is Christopher Lee as Monsieur Labisse, the bookshop owner. we know there's more, but it's not there. so a good solid 7 - GO of course. GO!