When you think of a director like Martin Scorsese, there’s a few specific types of films that come to mind – mob dramas (like GOODFELLAS or THE DEPARTED), gritty social commentary (like TAXI DRIVER), or period piece dramas (like GANGS OF NEW YORK or the Howard Hughes biopic THE AVIATOR). What you don’t think of is “lighthearted” or kid fare, or even something that might fit into the realm of popcorn 3D cinema. His new project HUGO changes that, big time.

Based on the book by Brian Selznick, HUGO follows the story of a young boy (Asa Butterfield) living in the walls of a 1930’s train station in Paris, France. His name is Hugo Cabret, the son of a recently deceased imaginative father (played in flashbacks by Jude Law), sent to live with his drunkard uncle (played ever-so-briefly by Ray Winstone). Young Hugo spends his days maintaining the numerous clocks of the station, and frequently steals mechanical parts from the local toy shop run by a grumpy older man (Ben Kingsley) and the young girl in his care named Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz). Hugo also works hard to avoid the station manager (played by Sacha Baron Cohen) and his trusty doberman, who are always looking to rid their surroundings of pesky orphans. One day the old toy shop owner asks Hugo to empty his pockets, and finds the young boy is carrying a small notebook with designs of some sort of robotic-like man. Strangely distraught by the discovery, he confiscates the book from Hugo to teach him a lesson. In an effort to retrieve the book, Hugo finds himself becoming fast friends with Isabelle, who spends much of her time in the station library run by the kindly Monsieur Labisse (Christopher Lee). As the two youths become closer, Hugo’s past is revealed, and some rather interesting discoveries are made, leading everyone into unexpected scenarios and the audience into some rather shocking developments.

HUGO is indeed a kid’s film, but adults may be surprised to find some rather mature and heartwarming elements in store for them. Being a lover of film and the art of movies, I was pleasantly shocked to see where all of this leads to, going back to the core elements of what makes cinema magical and personal. There’s ties to definitive and real movie history, while exploring imaginative elaborations that tie into the already fascinating story. The essential message of HUGO deals with the sadness of being alone, not having anyone relate to your life or your art, and how that can hurt you on a profound level. But outside of that, this is a movie for those who love and appreciate the art of film.

All of the performers are at the top of their game, which could easily be attributed to having a masterful director like Martin Scorsese at the helm. Ben Kingsley delivers one of his best performances in years, showing great range and emotion in a role that is challenging and greatly layered. He plays his part at various ages, and each variation is exceptional and effective. Asa Butterfield does a fine job carrying the film as Hugo, and carries the right amount of mystery and likability in his character, never going too sappy or too reserved – he’s the perfect hero. Chloë Grace Moretz is growing up fast, and becomes a fine female counterpart to our lead, showing him compassion and hope in an otherwise dismal world. It’s great to see Christopher Lee in a considerable role on the big screen again, and he’s appropriately cast as the librarian of the station. It’s easy to see why he’s perfect for the part, but odd to wonder why he’s so infrequently used in movies these days. There’s also great supporting performances from Helen McCrory (of HARRY POTTER fame) and Michael Stuhlbarg (of A SERIOUS MAN fame), along with small but memorable roles from Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, and the always lovely Emily Mortimer as train station regulars. Sacha Baron Cohen has fun playing the cartoonish station manager with his trusted canine companion. Many of the characters feel like they could have jumped out of some sort of fancy animation, but they all come to life with perfection.

It’s hard to talk too much about HUGO without the risk of giving away some of the more imaginative and surprising elements. Though it’s rare this happens, I went into the film with little to no knowledge of what to expect. I didn’t see any trailers or read much beforehand, partly because I wanted to go into this fresh. I’m so very happy for that too, as I found myself feeling like a kid again watching the events unfold. It’s not often you see a movie that truly feels magical and emotionally impacting. This is that type of film. Martin Scorsese has woven together a visual masterpiece. While I’m admittedly not a fan of 3D in movies, usually finding it to be an ineffective gimmick used to up-sell tickets, here it is done with supreme perfection. Magical and beautifully breathtaking, this is 3D at its finest. Even Howard Shore turns in an exceptional score to compliment the fine presentation that must be experienced to understand its greatness. I don’t often tell someone they need to see a movie in a theater in 3D… this is one of those movies. Even if you’re not a fan of Martin Scorsese’s previous works, I think I can safely say HUGO is quite simply one of the best films you’ll see this year.

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