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This superb movie, set in 1931, has it all - interesting characters (some of whom actually existed), unusual locations, great music and world class acting. The cast includes many big names and the director is the legendary Martin Scorsese. The special effects, both visual and aural, are exceptional with 3-D that is realistic without being overdone. Asa Butterfield plays the neglected and unwanted orphan Hugo Cabret with remarkable sensitivity and composure, a faultless performance worthy of an Oscar in my opinion. Hugo lives secretly in the Gare Montparnasse (a railway station in Paris), where he looks after the clocks. His biggest problem is the prowling station inspector, a cruel and obsessive man who likes nothing better than to catch homeless orphans, trap them in a cage and then hand them over to the local orphanage, which by all accounts is not a good place to be. But he is also clumsy and inept and he provides the film with much humour. The inimitable Sacha Baron Cohen does the honours here and he is on top form! Hugo's unhappy existence begins to change when he befriends Isabelle(Chloe Grace Moretz), a precocious but caring girl whose Godfather is an old man who owns a kiosk in the station and whose hidden but interesting past is destined to be rediscovered.(He is played by Ben Kingsley, one of our finest character actors).Jude Law appears briefly as Hugo's father in a flashback scene and Christopher Lee,looking as menacing as ever, is actually an amiable librarian and one of the few people to show Hugo any respect or kindness. I don't want to reveal too much about the plot, but there is a happy ending, unlike one of Asa's previous films,"The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas",whose closing scenes are the most heartbreaking and disturbing I have ever seen. "Hugo" is a hugely enjoyable and often surprising movie with a complex storyline that gradually draws you in. Brilliant and refreshingly different!
Runtime: Approx. 126 minutes
5055025162894
EL 130614
Paramount, 2011
Good condition
DG01
