Hugo

Tali: Hugo tells the tale of a young orphan who lives (and secretly works) inside a train station in 1920's Paris, France. Obsessed with the clockwork machinary his father championed, this little boy goes on a quest of sorts to uncover the mysteries of his father, as well as the local toy shop owner. I resisted seeing this movie for quite some time because I honestly thought it was for children. But after careful consideration I FINALLY saw it (it's 11 Oscar nominations helped considerablly). Hugo embraces its mystical and fantastical elements quite well and balances them with adult messages and storylines. There are certainly thematic elements of The Artist and Extremely Loud/Incredibly Close in this film, but what seperate's it from the rest is the ability to capture a varied audience and to inspire hope and magic (which I thought EL/IC did not). I was disapointed by Scorcese's upset over Directing. Sasha Baron Cohen's attempt at smiling is priceless.

Leo: Hugo was in my opinion the most worthy of an Oscar out of the nominated movies that I actually had an opportunity to see, though I did not actually see The Artist. It was filled with the wonder that comes with being a child on an adventure, making discoveries that amazes even adults. The movie was very entertaining between the plot and the actual scene-by-scene action, including lots of genuine comedy. The characters were interesting and you had to care about them, even the grumpy old man, and appreciate the art that was being shown off. All in all, great movie.