Hugo (*****)

At last, Martin Scorsese has made a film that is both perfect and accessible to every age group. This is Scorsese's first PG movie in almost 20 years, though there is no doubt that with Hugo he is at the top of his game. Yes, he defined the 'gangster' genre and has notoriety in blood and violence, but with Hugo he has possibly made one of the best films of his career.

The premise is simple enough. Based on an intriguing book, Hugo Cabret is a boy who's father died, leaving behind an automaton in a state of repair. Hugo now works in a train station, living in the walls and maintaining the clocks. No one knows he lives there, in fact he is almost like a phantom. The automaton, a human-like robot with an extreme amount of intricacy and the ability to write messages, is the main goal for Hugo. If he could fix this robot, perhaps he would find a message from his late father that could give him some sort of comfort.

The train station is also home to George Melies, an older, mysterious man who runs a toy shop. His granddaughter, Isabelle, befriends Hugo and ultimately helps form a relationship that reveals Melies to be a man tormented by his past. Once a great director of movies, his collection of almost 500 films is believed to have been lost. Through Hugo, Melies is able to rediscover his past and step out of the gloom of his current state.

Scorsese is known to have an eye for discovering new talent (Robert DeNiro, Leonardo Dicaprio), and with Asa Butterfield playing Hugo, he has discovered a star. His performance is equally on-par with any other performer in the film, even Ben Kingsley as Melies, whose performance is beautifully-nuanced and heartbreaking. These two single-handedly carry the film.

Aside from being one of the most regarded directors in history, Scorsese is also widely known to be a well-versed film historian. Here he manages to use his passions to only made Hugo that much more special of a film. Through extended sequences the audience sees actual Melies films, as well as the behind-the-scenes work that went into them. He also references other films from the beginning of this era of cinema. We learn about one of the first movies ever, one that simply shows a train coming towards the screen. Audiences were said to have screamed and ducked out of the way for fear of being hit. Comical by today's standards, but to understand that Scorsese does the same thing with his use of 3D as a train plummets through a busy train station. Briliance. Or to see Harold Lloyd famously hanging from the arms of a clock, only to see Hugo in the same position later in the film. It is this level of craft, layering, and thought that went into Hugo that truly helps it to become a masterpiece.

Yes, I said it. Hugo is a masterpiece. The best film of the year so far and undeniably Martin Scorsese's most personal film to date. The talent and craft presented are all at the top of their game. This is one of those unique movie-going experiences where you leave not only entertained, but invigorated to learn and see more.

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Butterfield), Best Supporting Actor (Kingsley), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing)