Hugo is a new Martin Scorsese film (there is a 3D version) nominally aimed a kids. But this is a thoroughly enjoyable film for adults, especially for those who love film and its history.

Recently, Scorsese did a documentary (which was excellent) on Italian film. As well as being an excellent director, he is a true lover and historian of film. The documentary is excellent...look for it on Netflix or TCM.

Well Hugo is nominally about an orphan boy who lives in "the walls" of the Paris train station and keeps all the clocks running. He supports himself by stealing food from the train station vendors. He is also a wonderful clock-maker, a talent he has inherited from his father. What occupies his attention is an "automaton" mechanical robot he saved from his father's clock repair studio. He is trying to repair it to see if it has a message from his father in it. He steals watching making parts from the train station's toy maker and wins over the help of the toy maker's God daughter.

There is indeed a message in the automation but it is not what he expects.

It becomes apparent about half way through this film that it is really a homage to the magic of early silent film and one of its most famous film makers.

Lovely film, do not miss it! It will warm your heart.

P.S. in 1995, the 100th anniversary of film, the Australian Film Archive in Canberra had a series of showing of very old and early silent film. They'd gathered film from all over the world for this festival. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and it was a privilege to attend the film showings. A number of those old early silent film segments will appear in Hugo