Quite beautiful, a film where "images are everything"; could have used a sharper edit, however

Rating: 8/10 (16 January 2013)

Hugo (Asa Butterfield) is an orphan in Paris around 1930. His father (Jude Law) died in a tragic accident and several weeks ago, the lad's rather good-for-nothing uncle passed, too. Wanting to keep the news of his "home alone" status a secret, especially from a train station inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), Hugo continues winding the large station clock, something his uncle was hired to do. Naturally, the young boy has resorted to being a pickpocket and a fruit snatcher to survive. Gifted mechanically, Hugo steals tools from a toy shop owner, Georges (Ben Kingsley) and, one day, is caught with a five finger discount. Very upset, the grouchy toyman takes away Hugo's prized notebook, a gift from his late dad. Terribly distraught, Hugo makes several attempts to reason with the old man. Fortunately, M. Georges has a ward, a girl named Isabelle, who is about Hugo's age. She wants to help Hugo in his endeavors. Well and good, thinks Hugo. But, M. Georges has many secrets, and the closer the young pair get to them, the angrier the toyshop owner becomes. He is even somehow connected to an automaton which Hugo's father was trying to restore. Also, although the Inspector has caught the admiration of a pretty flower seller (Emily Mortimer), he continues to haul young orphans off to institutions. What are the secrets of M. Georges? Will Hugo uncover them before he is caught in the inspector's net? First, this quite a beautiful film and such a change from Scorsese's last brilliant effort, Shutter Island. Although I was not fortunate enough to view the movie in 3-D, the scenery is breathtaking and the camera shots are equally so. Also, the cast is remarkable, with Kingsley, Butterfield, Mortimer, and particularly Cohen, enlivening the happenings. The story is also strong, especially its eventual glimpse into the world of silent cinema. Therefore, the film's weaknesses are its slow pace and far-from-sharp editing. Yes, Scorsese probably found it difficult to "slice away" beautiful images, but the flick would have benefited if he had. But, by no means should you skip Hugo. Its riches can be enjoyed by the entire family and everyone will bask in the bountiful imagery that is indeed, head turning.