Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese makes his first foray in 3D cinema with 'Hugo' - a children's tale starring Sir Ben Kingsley that is being universally praised by critics.
The movie follows 14-year-old Hugo, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and is wrapped up in mystery involving his late father. Kingsley plays old miser George - a character who turns out to be French filmmaker George Melies, considered one of the first great pioneers of modern cinema. During an interview with CbsNews.com, Scorsese spoke of the initial difficulties he faced shooting in 3D, saying, "Everything changed every shot. Every shot.The placement of the actor. The nature of the performance...The first couple of weeks it was really frightening". Still best known for his hard-hitting classics Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and The Departed, it was suggested Scorsese could be out of his comfort zone with Hugo, but the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Critic Andrew O'Hehir of Salon.com wrote, "I have seen the future of 3-D moviemaking, and it belongs to Martin Scorsese, unlikely as that may sound", while Andrew Pulver of the UK's Guardian newspaper noted, "Scorsese has created an exquisite jewel box of a movie, polished and honed to glittering, diamond-hard brilliance".
Following the reception, Hugo has been slashed to the 8/1 fourth favorite to win Best Picture at the 2012 Academy Awards. Also starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Christopher Lee, the movie hit cinemas in the U.S. on Wednesday (23 November 2011).