Over the weekend I had time to watch one of my favorite movies directed by Martin Scorsese.

No, I did not watch “Goodfellas” or “After Hours,” though they are both excellent.

Instead I decided to watch the historical adventure family drama “Hugo.”

The film stars Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret, a young orphan living a secretive life in the walls of an early 20th century Paris railway station where he maintains the station’s clocks.

Living in hiding, Hugo works on repairing an automaton his father was working on before he died.

But the automaton is missing a heart–shaped key.

And without the the key, the automaton cannot function.

Convinced the automaton contains a message from his father, Hugo goes to great lengths to fix it.

Hugo begins stealing parts needed for his automaton, but a toy shop owner (Ben Kingsley) catches Hugo and confiscates his blueprints.

Hugo befriends the toy shop owner’s goddaughter Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) and together they set out to uncover the mystery surrounding Hugo’s automaton.

This is one of the best movies about movies.

But there is more to “Hugo” than paying homage to classic films.

While showing us the world of the past, the film also pushes the boundaries of modern filmmaking.

Although 3D has been abandoned and reserved for superhero movies, back in 2011, “Hugo” was the movie that convinced me 3D could become the next step for filmmaking.

3D technical gibberish aside, Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing is spot – on amazing as usual.

The music, cinematography, writing, acting and everything else, combine to create one sensational film.

“Hugo” was made by some of the best filmmakers who  I hope never stop making movies.

Overall, “Hugo” is more than a terrific movie — it’s a filmmaker’s love letter to the origins of cinema.

The film is currently available to watch on Netflix Instant.

Rating: A+

To contact Ethan Cooper, email pioneerphotog@occc.edu