With eleven nominations, the most of any film this year, Hugo is a charming, heartfelt tale of a clever, steadfast boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station after his father's sudden death leaves him orphaned. Both tragic and touching, the story centers on Hugo's quest to repair an automata that he and his father were working on and in doing so, uncovers the secret lives of those he slowly learns to call family. It is an uplifting anecdote based on the Caldecott winning book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick that is actually based on the real story of French filmmaker Geroges Melies. As it is in the book, Hugo's world is visually stunning and terrifying at the same time, an effect that is expertly executed by Martin Scorsese. Much like The Artist, this film was a love letter of sorts to cinema but in a more literal way.
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| Asa Butterfield plays Hugo Cabret |
While I enjoyed the film very much, what stood out most for me were the technical aspects, including the seamless use of 3D technology with brilliant cinematography. This was Scorsese's first foray into the world of 3D and he has created a visual masterpiece that plays like a moving pop-up book. Mostly all of the awards that Hugo is nominated for are technical and I do believe it could take home some of the big ones like Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. I also won't be surprised if it takes Adapted Screenplay, though I do believe that category is one of the toughest being that it is so widespread. It could be a big winner since the odds are in its favor with so many technical nods but whether it will walk away with top prize remains to be seen.
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