Set in 1931, Martin Scorsese's fantasy adventure, based on Brian Selznick's illustrated novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is a family-friendly extravaganza starring Asa Butterfield as Hugo; a lonely boy secretly living in the hidden spaces of a Parisian train station.
Hugo spends his days looking after the station's clocks, trying to repair a clockwork figure belonging to his late father and evading the clutches of the station inspector, until he is befriended by Isabelle, the niece of toyshop owner Papa Georges. Alongside the youngsters' adventures, the story of Papa Georges and his connection to the early history of cinema allows Scorsese to celebrate his own medium.
Straddling the worlds of childhood exploration and adult nostalgia, the film is heartfelt and visually delightful, succeeding in balancing exuberant camera work and broad comedy with more melancholy notes.
Hugo is a Film programme that first aired in 2011 and has been classified a U certificate.
