Orphaned and alone except for an uncle, Hugo Cabret lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris. Hugo's job is to oil and maintain the station's clocks, but to him, his more important task is to protect a broken automaton and notebook left to him by his late father. Accompanied by the goddaughter of an embittered toy merchant, Hugo embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of the automaton and find a place he can call home.
For all the wizardry on display, Hugo often feels like a film about magic instead of a magical film...
– David Edelstein,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
28 Nov 2011
rotten:
Thematic potency and cinematic virtuosity -- the production was designed by Dante Ferretti and photographed by Robert Richardson -- can't conceal a deadly inertness at the film's core.
– Joe Morgenstern,
Wall Street Journal,
28 Nov 2011
fresh:
It might be curtains for celluloid, but Scorsese, a boyish 69, clearly isn't leaving the stage any time soon. He directs every film with the passion of his first. And it shows.
– Cath Clarke,
Time Out,
29 Nov 2011
fresh:
Scorsese transforms this innocent tale into an ardent love letter to the cinema and a moving plea for film preservation.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
1 Dec 2011
fresh:
Being a hardcore cinephile (like Scorsese) might add a layer of enjoyment, but it certainly isn't a prerequisite for walking in the door. A sense of wonder, however, is.