Hugo is not a kids movie, I don’t care how they marketed it or what your assumptions are, this film is meant for a mature audience that understands the problems that come with life. There are kid-film things within Hugo, but they are only playing to your sense of wonder and innocence. Hugo was not marketed correctly and I feel the need to clear the air with what people think this movie is. Scorsese has outdone himself with a tale about a person’s purpose in life as well as the sadness that becomes inherent with old age. It is not about how sadness rules old age but it is more about how to overcome it by remembering and holding onto your dreams. Based on the picture/children’s novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brain Selznick, this tale is a piece of historical fiction that centers not only on the character of Hugo, but also famous silent- film director, Georges Melies (that guy with the film of the moon getting hit in the eye with a rocket). Other than the fact that Georges was a director, there is little “history” to Hugo because the film plants itself firmly in fiction. Hugo is a beautiful film and was created to please film buffs as well as those who know what a great film is.

Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is a boy who lives in a Paris train station devoid of any parent figure and takes to keeping the clocks running on time throughout the said station. As an orphan, he takes to sneaking around the station and stealing in order to survive while avoiding the urchin-catching station master (Sacha Baron Cohen). Hugo is in possession of an automaton that his father (Jude Law) was trying to fix before he died in a tragic accident. Hugo’s alcoholic uncle took Hugo in after Mr. Cabret’s death and proceeded to leave the boy in the station all by himself. The death of the father did not kill Hugo’s dream of fixing the tiny robot because he believes that his father has left a message inside it for him (the automaton writes). In search of parts to fix the robot, Hugo gets caught stealing from the toy booth owner, Georges (Ben Kingsley). In being under Georges’ brief custody, the old man takes Hugo’s journal away from him that contains the schematics for the automaton. The images within the journal make the old man angry and he confiscates it from Hugo. The boy then goes on a quest to retrieve his journal and in doing so, unlocks the past.

Hugo is about the importance of film as well as its relation to dreams. I can clearly see Scorsese paying homage to the creation of film and the profound effect that celluloid can have on an individual. It’s easy to understand (or easy to dismiss) that Scorsese is fishing for some Oscars, but I think there is conviction in the way he presents the material and he is not looking purely for the Academy’s love. I am not familiar with the source material but I think that Scorsese was attracted to the script because of how much of himself he sees within it. What I mean here is that film-people or those with affection for film will click with the majority of the themes presented. I felt vindicated at points because within Hugo, films are shown as something that matters and not just another thing to do on a Saturday night.

Back to the core aspects of the film, Hugo tackles many mature and complex themes that someone under the age of 18 (you like that arbitrary number I pulled out?) might not appreciate. As a friend said to me, this film should have been rated R just so it would weed out all the younger crowds in favor of those who actually pay attention to films. I was uneasy when the film started because it did feel a bit like a children’s film, or one that didn’t appeal to adults. After the late title card, Hugo starts throwing things at you and will continue to do so until the credits roll. I felt floored during certain scenes in Hugo and was amazed by the weight that the characters bring to their performances. Kingsley is easily the best performance as the sad, unhappy Georges and his moments are the most impactful. With that being said, all the actors do a great job and I never felt that any one person was holding the film back. Great job guys, I mean it.

Hugo looks great and even though I saw it in 2D, I didn’t notice any obscenely annoying 3D nonsense ruining the look of the film. There are copious amounts of digital filtering and green screen but with a budget of $170,000,000, it is made to look natural and not out of place. The bustling train station is full of busy people and activities that move seamlessly on screen. Hugo has a lot to take in from a viewer’s perspective, there is always something lush to look at and it’s full of cute, little French things. As a side note I found it weird that the Hugo is set in France yet everyone speaks with a British accent. At first I was a little annoyed but once I got into the fiction, I didn’t mind, but still…

Hugo is about the sadness of growing old in a world that is hard to be noticed in as well as the importance of dreams and desires. The film speaks of purpose and what role we need to fill and once we fill that role, we should never let it go. As sappy as that might sound to some of you, Scorsese portrays it in a meaningful way that makes you pensive after the viewing. On another side note, this is not the tear jerker that it was marketed as; the emotions are there and there are some powerfully intense scenes but nothing that resorts to you feeling hopeless.

I was in love with Hugo by the end and I think that this film is nothing short of magic. Film lovers should see this for not only all the homages but also the deep story and strong performances. I don’t recommend this for children but anyone with some self-awareness will find the importance of Hugo. There is something truly special about Hugo and I would go as far as to call it Scorsese’s best in terms of direction and importance. Don’t pass this film up, it is worth every penny and I can assure you, you will walk away with some heavy thoughts.