After winning numerous accolades and five academy awards, Hugo, the movie has won the hearts of young and adult alike. It is truly an amalgamation of superb cinematography, intriguing storyline and flawless performances. The visual effects and 3D graphics rendered in its sequences are a treat to the eye.

The story is of an orphaned 11-year-old boy named Hugo Cabret, who lives with his uncle on a railway station in the clock towers. One day, his uncle disappears and Hugo must fend for himself and keep the clocks on the station working so that no one notices that his uncle is missing otherwise he would be sent to the orphanage.

Secretly, Hugo is trying to repair and unlock a mysterious robot like machine called an automaton, that works on clockwork. Hugo steals small parts from a toy shop in the station to repair his automata but is caught and the notebook that his father gave him with instructions to rebuild the broken machine is taken by the Toymaker, Mr Melies. Desperate to get the notebook back, Hugo gets the help from Mr Melies’ goddaughter Isabella, who becomes his friend and confidante.

How Isabella and Hugo solve the mystery of the broken automation and how does Hugo find a new home? To find the answers, you have to watch the movie. The beautiful performances by young protagonists Asa Butterfield as Hugo and Chloe Grace Moretez as Isabella makes this fantasy believable and realistic. — Zahra Hassan