Hugo is a a brilliant film done simply but beautifully by the great Martin Scorsese. The young Hugo is a newly orphaned savant from a family of superlative watchmakers, and he is stuck in a train station. Hugo’s father has died, his uncle disappeared and Hugo lives barely by stealing food from vendors around the station.

Hugo’s nemesis, the station inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), is an emotionally underdeveloped casualty of WW1, as is the entire city of Paris. Until Hugo (Asa Butterfield) manages to become involved with one of these victims, a toy shop owner named Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley) his life is bleak. Méliès is a bitter filmmaker whose exceptional career died after the horror that was the Great War. Movie goers no longer wanted the beautiful, uplifting wonder of his pictures. Georges was forced to give up his studio and settle for a tiny toy shop in the station. Hugo, in an attempt to rebuild an automaton his father discovered, steals parts from the aging shop owner.

Hugo is the story of these very different people and their voyage to the discovery that Méliès is not forgotten and Hugo no longer alone. With Hugo and George, with the help of young Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her charming smile and sense of wonder find that life still holds hope and splendor.

The story is fun, the plot solid, if simple, and the casting inspired. Brilliant direction, beautiful cinematography and exceptional performances make this wonderful film a joy to watch and one certain to bring people back to Hugo again and again.

I heartily recommend Hugo to adults and children alike and suggest seeing Hugo with young people. Only then may you get the entire impact of Martin Scorsese’s latest masterpiece.

Hugo is five large popcorn tubs out of five!