Hugo

Martin Scorsese's 2011 film follows a boy living inside the walls of a Paris railway station in the thirties. He has a broken automaton left by his father. Trying to repair it, he reaches the toy seller in the station. The film opens its real subject in the second half; the man is a forgotten director from cinema's first years, and the narrative argues directly for film preservation. It is adapted from a children's novel. Ben Kingsley plays the director. It was shot in three dimensions and was awarded for its design. Who it's for: those who like film history and family films. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a brisk children's film; this one is slow and nostalgic.