Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sasha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer

This was an absolute DELIGHT of a film!  (One of my favorites of the year, in fact…and apparently, one of the Academy’s as well, as it led the pack with 11 Oscar nominations this year.)  Fantastical, imaginative, magical…one of the rare instances in which 3D actually enhances the viewing experience (thank you, Marty, for venturing into this territory!)

It is a visually stunning (Paris has never looked so breathtakingly gorgeous on film) love letter to the movies, told through the eyes and hearts of young and old alike, irresistible to any true lover of film.

A pure pleasure from start to finish, it is a heart-warming story about a determined orphaned boy, whose wide clear blue eyes dazzle and mesmerize each time they fill the screen.  The friendship that develops between the two young protagonists is tenderly developed.  The film is sweetly touching (I was moved to tears multiple times), with both an adventure and a mystery held within its narrative, each of which are satisfyingly concluded with an encouraging and empowering message: to follow and pursue one’s passions.

The true magic of the movies is illustrated in every conceivable way in Hugo…it is a must-see for all ages!