Hugo (2011)

"If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around... this is where they're made."Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. REVIEWIt takes a while for Hugo to really get going, but it's certainly beautiful in the meantime. The film is a visual spectacle while each frame is an absolute joy to look at. You're taken through the intricate insides of various clocks at a train station; seeing their gears move as the use of steam adds just the right amount of mystery. It's not so much the fact that Hugo is slow because it isn't. There's this veil of mystery that isn't lifted until Hugo (Asa Butterfield) finally caves and tells his story. The various clocks and train station setting keeps you occupied and the long introduction with no dialogue is extremely noteworthy. It's just for nearly half the film, you have all these elements (clocks, the train station, a notebook, an automaton, and Hugo's father) without much of a connection. But it does all come together in extraordinary fashion.The cast is really superb. Asa Butterfield is so passionate and emotional. Those blue eyes of his tell the story better than words ever could. Chloe Grace Moretz is so optimistic and eager for a chance at an adventure. You can't help but adore the Isabelle character. Sacha Baron Cohen seems to step way out of his element here. The Station Inspector seems like a complete 180 from Bruno or Borat, but his sense of humor is still in his performance. He just happens to have a bit more depth in comparison. Ben Kingsley's Georges Méliès goes through such a transformation in the film though that he's able to display such a wide range of emotion. He plays the broken old man impeccably.There are times when movies affect you in a way that let you know they are special. For me, it's like I'm suddenly overcome by a wide range of emotions that make me want to laugh, cry, scream at the top of my lungs, and the overwhelming sensation of never wanting that moment or the movie to end. I'm not ashamed to say I felt that a few times during Hugo. James Cameron called Hugo a masterpiece and it's really difficult to argue with that. There isn't a weak point in the cast, the visuals are outstanding, and you find yourself connecting to the story. You're sucked into this world right from the start.