Hugo

An orphan boy (Asa Butterfield) lives in the dark recesses of a Paris train station, tending to the station’s many clocks and cadging food and other necessities from the various shops and cafes—which brings him into contact with a sour old toy seller (Ben Kingsley), who was once a great and famous artist. Brian Selznick’s illustrated novel has a story that dovetails neatly with director Martin Scorsese’s passion for film history and preservation. Scorsese and writer John Logan have turned the book into a marvelous movie—literally, full of marvels. Kingsley, in particular, gives one of the best performances of his career, but the entire cast clearly relishes the opportunity to work for Scorsese on such a lovely story. Scorsese also demonstrates how effective 3-D can be in the hands of a true artist.