Scorsese's valentine to filmmaking wonders and in 3-D too!

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2012)

HUGO (2011) ***1/2 Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Michael Sthuhlberg, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths, Jude Law. Filmmaking genius Martin Scorsese takes on 3-D with aplomb in this highly visually entertaining adaptation of Brian Selznick's book about the titularly orphaned young lad (newcomer Butterfield) who discovers a whole new world from his introverted tragic one – cinema! – after investigating the source of an intriguing automaton left as his father's legacy upon his terrible death – and the world of the Parisian train station he inhabits. Scorsese pulls out every movie-making trick in the book with a fond valentine to silent screen mastermind Georges Melies (played by Kingsley with just the right air of sad elegance) and his incredibly creative films. The gorgeous production design by longtime collaborative Dante Ferretti, winsome score by Howard Shore and brilliant cinematography by ace cameraman Robert Richardson truly transports the viewer into a microcosm of wonder. For children of all ages and a cinemaphile's dream come true.