Hugo Review

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2012)

Sometimes simplicity speaks volumes of what a person perceives or what he/she desires for and this movie so simply speaks about the subtleties of life. Hugo Cabret lives in train station's clock tower after his father tragically dies in a fire in a museum. Taken up by his uncle he starts winding up the clocks in the train station but has a hidden dream of setting atominator in motion and finding out the hidden secrets behind. What gets revealed out of it is the story Hugo speaks about.
Set in the 1930's Paris Hugo living in his clock tower wants to fix a atominator which his father had brought home from the museum because no one wanted to have it. The journey of finding missing pieces to fit in the atominator he comes across George Melies who runs a toy shop in the train station and has glorious past. He befriends his godchild Isabella and both of them start on an adventurous journey of reading books, watching movies without tickets and finding out the truth behind George Melies. In the train station there are various characters and newspaper seller who is in love with the lady who runs a bakery shop but what's stopping them from expressing their love is the lady's dog. Then there is the station inspector (a brilliant Sacha Baron Cohen) who is obsessed with orphan's n wants to make each one of them live in an orphanage because he had a tough childhood and he is in love with the florist but can't express it because of his defected left leg and all these characters combine to make a joyful journey for Hugo.
One day in the film section of the library Hugo and Isabella come across the history of film making and there they are awe struck by one name which is of George Melies and the writer who is obsessed by George's movies and he makes them realize that their Papa George is one of the greatest filmmakers ever but all his work is lost except one which also happens to be the first movie seen by Hugo's father. Now the kids want George to see the movie and realize how great he was and how people where influenced by him.
Starting off with the performance everyone has given a superlative performance with Asa Butterfield great as Hugo, Chole Grace Mortez good as Isabella, Sacha Baron Cohen superb as the Station Inspector, Ben Kingsley is marvelous as George Melies and Jude Law is under used. But the real stars of this movie are Director Martin Scorsese and the Art Directors Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo. 11 Academy Award Nomination is a befitting tribute to such a wonderful movie.