Hugo (DVD)

Martin Scorsese makes his first foray into children's cinema with this semi-fantastical drama based on a book by Brian Selznick. Asa Butterfield stars as Hugo, an orphan who lives in the hidden nooks of a train station in 1920s Paris. With the help of his friend, Isabelle (Chloë Moretz), he sets out to solve a mystery left behind by his late father (Jude Law): a curious puzzle involving a heart-shaped key, a cranky toy shop owner (Ben Kingsley) and a broken automaton. Along the way, the tangled lives of the staff and passengers at the station provide numerous colourful detours, and Scorsese pays homage to early pioneers of cinema including the Lumiere brothers and Georges Méliès. The film was nominated for eleven Oscars and won five awards including Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.