After his clocksmith father dies and Hugo is placed in the case of his drunkard uncle, he hides in a local Paris train station, where he lives under the roof, winds the station's mechanical clocks and watch the action below him: travelers rushing to and fro, the manager of a café, the implacable security guard and his Doberman, the sweet florist and the old owner of a toy store. But when he's caught stealing from the store, the boy gives the man a notebook of clock schematics drawn by his father, which will only work if wound up by a heart-shaped key. While he hopes to get the notebook back, Hugo meets the adopted daughter of the shopkeeper, who turns out to be a pioneer in the history of cinema...

With Hugo, Martin Scorsese once again proves his stunning visual talent, with 3D effects enhancing his taste for moving crowds, convoluted tracking shots, flamboyant colors and directorial effects known only to him. This deluge of exciting images is accompanied by his obvious love for movies, paying homage to Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock and George Méliès. More than a film for children, Hugo is a work of art for kids of all ages who long to plunge into remembrance of their first emotions at the movies.