Hugo

Actors:  Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer, Ray Winstone

Rating:  9 out of 10, I wrote in my other blog about how this movie snuck up on me when I first saw it.  I was totally surprised by the fact that this was a Martin Scorsese movie.  Seeing it again I was once again captured by the magic – especially the two young actors Butterfield and Moretz.  This is really their movie and it was impressive to see the range of emotions bother were capable of.  I think the most impressive thing about this movie is Cohen, under control for the first time in cinema.  I think that may be Scorsese’s greatest triumph – getting an actually nuanced performance out of this legendary goon.  He really can act when he wants to get away from just being controversial for the sake of being controversial.  He plays the predatory rail station policeman in befuddled pursuit of Hugo who’s hiding out in the station while rebuilding a mechanical man who holds the key to an unknown message.  More than anything else this is a tribute to the love of cinema – so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised – it’s right in my wheelhouse.  There’s a lot of whimsy in the film but the underlying message of finding worth in everybody is redeeming.  I really enjoyed this movie and I dare anybody who watches this to be immune to its charm.

MVP:  Butterfield in the title role of Hugo, the abandoned orphan who triumphs