Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Reviews

Since a couple of years, they have decided to add more movies to the list of nominees for the Best Picture Academy Award. You may like it or not but there is definitely one impact is that you get at least one very surprising nomination that nobody was expected and it was definitely the case when this movie was nominated. Indeed, even though there was a pretty good buzz before its release, it was eventually received with some rather lukewarm reviews. Even so, I still wanted to check it out but, unfortunately, I can't say I was really convinced. I mean the directing was pretty good, the cast did a fine job, especially the young boy playing the lead but I wasn't really convinced by the story. Basically, it is a rather heartbreaking drama about the trauma of a young boy, probably autistic, following the 09/11 tragedy, and it was some pretty strong material, but then, instead of developing this dramatic situation, they constantly toned down the whole thing by adding some quirky scenes every 2 minutes. Maybe it made the story easier to digest for some viewers but, in my case, it actually weakened the powerful emotions displayed. To conclude, even though it was rather flawed, I still think it remains a decent drama and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Gentle and bittersweet, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" is the second movie adaptation of "Everything is Illuminated" author Johnathan Safron Foer's novel. Although the movie is littered with stars such as Viola Davis, Tom Hanks, and Sandra Bullock, newcomer Thomas Horn steals the show in a flawless performance as Oskar Schell, a troubled eleven-year-old prodigy struggling with his dad (Hanks') death in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Oskar could be rude, he could treat people sh**ty, but I immediately rooted for him. It helps that he reminded me of a friend of my brother's I'm fond of. While Oskar's dad was alive, he would send him on scavenger hunts. When Oskar rummages through his dad's closet and finds a key with a word on it, Oskar believes his father wants him to find the lock the key belongs to.

Oskar probably has Asperger's, and that becomes a factor as he travels through New York City battling anxiety, loud noises, and his own worst fears about Urban terrorism. Meanwhile, his well-meaning mother (Sandra Bullock) tries to get through to her angry loner son. I wasn't sure about Sandra Bullock prior to this movie because I thought she was undeserving of the Oscar for "The Blind Side" but she was good here. You can't help but feel for her when her son throws angry words in her direction.

Linda (the mom)'s unconditional love for her son touched me, as did her quiet grief, but Oskar and the otherwise unnamed 'The Renter' played by Max Von Sydow were my favorite characters. 'The Renter,' true to his title, rents a room from Oskar's grandmother and accompanies Oskar on his perilous quest.

The only complaint I have with this movie is that the premise was very unrealistic. I mean, the word 'Black' that comes with the key could meet anything and Oskar is immediately on the right track. Not only that, but as Oskar looks for people with the last name 'Black,' he doesn't even think that not only is 'Black' a ridiculously common name, but there's no guarantee that if this 'Black' is a person, that they live in New York city!

I liked Oskar a lot. I liked his way of looking at things. Thomas Horn interpreted Oskar honestly and touchingly. This is one of the most underrated child performances of all time (probably because the movie wasn't received well, for what reasons are mysterious to me.) I wanted him to be happy, and move beyond the tragedy of his dad's death and the tragedy of 9/11 in general. Many lives were affected that day, and this movie offers sympathy to both the lives lost and those left behind.

To breach another subject, I thought the depiction of Asperger's was very good as someone diagnosed with the condition. The funny, idiosyncratic things Oskar said seemed very typical for someone with AS, while his social anxiety was easy to relate to. A lot of movies exaggerate AS symptoms for 'Hollywood' effect, making the hero some kind of head-banging, socially defective prodigy. I mean "Rain Man," that was put out near the beginning of Autism research. But "Mozart and the Whale?" Seriously?

And let's not forget how good the entire cast was throughout this movie. Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Max Von Sydow, Thomas Horn of course... they all played their roles wonderfully and were touching and likable. I'd say Von Sydow and Horn were the standouts among this amazing cast. Von Sydow as the silent renter had no spoken lines, but managed to convey emotion like a pro. I'm going to have to diverge from the critics and say this movie is absolutely worth seeing. It's worth it.

Within approximately 11 years since that horrifying day in New York on 11th September 2001, there has been a whole new born legacy of stories (both fictional and real) that have been adapted onto the big screen. Following 2006 hits United 93 and World Trade Center that were based on true stories, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close became the first Hollywood film that links the real attacks with a fictional second story and characters. So, with this in mind, there was quite a lot to expect from this film on equal fronts. Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close undoubtedly illustrates the horror of 9/11 and the heartbreak caused, but regarding the key-quest story, it came across as rather flat that doesn’t really get anywhere.


The dialogue of Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close is split into two separate stories that intend to connect together but, quite frankly, it was almost completely mishandled. It’s adapting a horrifying and controversial event featuring fictional characters, in slight reference to James Cameron’s Titanic, to create an inner fictional story that doesn’t really lead us anywhere nor serve any primary purpose. Despite the key-quest story wasn’t the best, the fictional Schell family were vital roles as it illustrates the emotional heartbreak that 9/11 bestowed on the victims and their loved ones. It shows some vital characteristics of 9/11 that hadn’t been put to the screen, which is where in particularly aspect that the film could lead its audience to a tear or two.


Throughout pretty much every Tom Hanks film, it’s just always about him and his character. However, this time in Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, he is credited as a leading role but he portrays a more supporting character. Nevertheless, he portrays 9/11 victim Thomas Schell marvellously. He illustrates not only the loving father and husband in the film that adds more drama, but also the emotional torture and pain whilst in the World Trade Center building. Alongside Hanks is Oscar winning actress Sandra Bullock as wife of Thomas and mother of Oskar, Linda Schell. Being an actress you either love or hate, Bullock provides a very tender yet rather cold nature to Linda, especially when it comes to the relationship with her son. So, Bullock’s performance was decent enough to watch.


Child star Thomas Horn makes his on-screen feature debut as young Oskar Schell with quite possibly one of the best child performances that you’ll ever experience. As well as the references of 9/11 itself and the aftermath, Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close teaches some valuable lessons about autism and Asperger’s Syndrome from Horn’s performance. He brings forth the reality, the mental stabilities and symptoms of autism like Leonardo DiCaprio in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? where he became not only the main character in the film, but the most dominant actor alongside Max Von Sydow! Von Sydow got a well-deserved Academy Award nomination where he proves without saying a single word in the film that actions speak louder than words, identical to a few Oscar winning and nominated performances in the past. Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright and Zoe Caldwell make appearances and deliver satisfying performances in their respective roles.


Stephen Daldry warmed our hearts with his directorial debut of Billy Elliot but then progressed to make Oscar nominated dramas - The Hours and The Reader. Nevertheless, here we are with Daldry’s latest drama, where he doesn’t do so much better than his previous two films. He tends to make these dramas and lacks the emotional connection between the key-quest and 9/11 story. Daldry can do better than this, but he can do a lot worse! Eric Roth, the screenwriter of most notably Forrest Gump and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, penned the screenplay from the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. This is a typical film for Eli Roth to write a script because it’s embarking on a journey and observes life from another group of people. Plus, it’s the on-going narration and the crucial reference of the swing in central New York, identical to the feather in Forrest Gump. However, it’s not one of the best scripts he has written at all but like Daldry, he can so much worse!


Overall, Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close is both a huge disappointment but a very emotional and heartfelt film to watch. As previously illustrated, it’s flat in terms of story with the quest about the key. However, at the same time, the 9/11 scenarios with losing a father/husband makes it a heart-breaking tragedy, which still makes it an emotional experience. So, Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close is the one film that has its strong features which prevented it from becoming even worse, but also has its severe blows where it could have been so much better.

Well, I don't have much hate as some critics seem to show about this one. I was intrigued and believed this kid's journey. Liked his process and the torturous elements of it.