Beautiful and Touching

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2012)

Despite the fact that I am a huge movie buff, I actually haven't seen a lot of Martin Scorsses' films. I saw Shutter Island, which was good but far from perfect, and about twenty minutes of the Departed before I realized that I didn't care, skipped to the end and then shut it off. However his newest film Hugo is not a mystery, nor is it a thriller, it's a family film, and a damn good one.
If you have ever done anything creative, such as writing, painting, sculpting, and especially film, then you really should see this film. This follows the tale of a young boy named Hugo, who meets a girl who's grandfather used to be a film director. He was actually the first filmmaker to realize that movies don't have to just be moving images, they can be a way to make your dreams come alive. His most famous movie being "A Trip to the Moon," you know that one with the rocket crashed into the moon that for some reason has a face. The film has a very well told story that is touching, funny, and even quite sad at times. And it is also beautiful, the cinematography is absolutely amazing and the lighting and special effects are very well handled.
Hugo is not a kids movie, it is a family film. There are no stupid jokes that cater to the lowest common denominator. The only real problem I had with the film was that at times it could get a little boring, but that doesn't stop the fact that this is a great film both technically and story wise.