This tale of Christian persecution in 17th century Japan depicts an inspiring fortitude.

Martin Scorsese hardly seems the most obvious choice for a whimsical 3-D children’s movie about a big-eyed, scruffy-haired young scamp who winds the clocks of a Paris train station, but for the movie that Hugo becomes, there’s no one else for the job.

Cinema’s a tough industry for an artist. Sure, actors can become stars, and some actors might even gain notoriety for the artistry of their performances, but those two tracks don’t always merge. A select few directors might also be raised up on the pedestal of capital-A Artist. But most everyone else, no matter how towering a figure they might be in their field, is limited to a glance in a credit scroll, or a quick title card while people are still getting in their seats.

There’s a storm brewing. Everyone’s got something to hide. There’s no escape route. And our heroes are stuck a rock in the middle of the ocean with violently deranged criminals and asylum administrators of dubious motivations, searching for an escaped convict. That Martin Scorsese can turn these clichéd, stock elements into such a gripping, fascinating film for a full feature’s worth of running time is a testament to his amazing skills as a director,…

It must be hard out there for a Washington film critic. You’ve got big-city cinema dreams, but you’re stuck in a town where politics is usually the order of the day. The number of people who turn to you as the last word in quality filmmaking is probably frustratingly small considering the size of the media market you’re working in. So what are our humble D.C. area film critics to do? Well, as we’ve noted…

Acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese was recognized last night as the 2006 Guggenheim Honoree at the SILVERDOCS festival. The award, named after the late 4-time Academy Award winning (longtime D.C. resident) Charles Guggenheim, was presented in a ceremony highlighting Scorsese’s contributions to documentary film. After a brief introduction by local filmmaker Grace Guggenheim (daughter of Charles), the packed AFI Silver Theatre audience was treated to a selection of scenes from Scorsese’s documentary work, followed by…

We’re going to be the first ones to call it: the SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival is all grows up. Yeah, you heard us. As of this year, it’s a real-deal film festival, the kind of event any filmmaker who knows anything would be thrilled to participate in. And we’re not just blowing smoke. The lineup of more than 100 films and special events between today and Sunday isn’t just impressive, it’s overwhelming. With all…

Oscars, Oscars, Oscars! That’s the main event going on this weekend (care to leave your picks in the comments?) but there’s tons of other fun things out there. Check out this week’s Arts Agenda and Music Agenda for some suggestions, like the opening of the Modigliani exhibit at the Phillips Collection on Saturday (a portrait of his is at right), or the continuation of the Teenbeat reunion tonight (check out shesbitter.com for some pictures of…

If you can’t stomach the debate this evening, but are still in the mood for some TV viewing in a political vein, catch Robert Altman’s “Tanner on Tanner.” The first of the four-part series airs tonight at 9 p.m. on the Sundance Channel. A follow up to Altman’s well received 1988 TV series about faux presidential candidate Jack Tanner (“Tanner ’88”), “Tanner on Tanner” puts the focus on his daughter, Alex Tanner, played by Cynthia…