Scorsese Visits Film History.

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2015)

Hugo (2011): Dir: Martin Scorsese / Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law: A wonderful celebration of old Hollywood. It stars Asa Butterfield as Hugo, whose father died in a fire leaving him as the sole person to keep the clocks at the train station in working order. He resorts to theft in order to live but this causes tension when an elderly shop owner catches him in the act. It is obvious that director Martin Scorsese is displaying his appreciation for early cinema with footage from old short films. Butterfield is very expressive in his sense of loss yet resourceful in maintaining what appears to be massive art direction in a clock tower. Ben Kingsley as the bitter shop owner is discovered to be early filmmaker George Melies whose films were destroyed when the war hit. Kingsley plays him with grief and great loss as he reflects upon a career of dreams and wonder. He was a magician whose amazement at film led to those of his own, including A Trip to the Moon. Chloe Grace Moretz plays Kingsley's granddaughter whose thrill for adventure leads to teaming with Hugo in discovering what the key around her neck does with the robot Hugo has been fixing in the tower. Sacha Baron Cohen plays the police inspector with a leg brace. He chases down children to send to an orphanage, but he also fancies the woman selling flowers on the corner. Jude Law is featured as Hugo's father who is involved in an accident that cost him his life. Scorsese is a master filmmaker bringing his appreciation full circle with this wondrous celebration. Score: 10 / 10