Movie Review - "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (2011) ****

     Sometimes a movie is just that, a movie. Too often I think people try to find a deeper meaning or context that just isn't there. There are films out there where the primary purpose is to make a case regarding a subject, or have an opinion on a certain issue, and there is definitely a place for films like that. Other times, a storyteller will use an event as the backdrop of smaller story that they are trying to tell. That bring us to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the Best Picture nominee directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Eric Roth based on a novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. The reviews from critics and fans alike have been interesting to watch, as there seems to be a group of people who loves this movie, and a group which seems to hate it....with not much room in between. My problem is, I'm not sure where the hate is coming from. I completely understand if someone doesn't like a movie, that's understandable, but there is a contingent out there just seems taken aback and even offended by this film, which uses the events of September 11 as the backdrop of the story. After seeing the movie, I'm not sure where that is coming from. Yes, 9/11 will always be a hard subject to deal with, but I don't feel this movie was trying to make any "stand" on 9/11. It's simply a movie showing how that day has affected one family, especially young Oskar Schell, who sees the world through a different set of eyes.

     Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) is a 9-year old boy who adores his father Thomas (Tom Hanks) so much and loves the games of adventure that his father creates for him. Oskar's mother, Linda (Sandra Bullock), is also very loving but it's obvious from the start that Oskar is much closer to his father. One of the reasons for this is that Oskar likely has Aspberger's, a form of autism, even though it is stated that tests were inconclusive. Oskar is very smart, but is challenged in social situations, so the diagnosis seems likely. Things are going good for Oskar until September 11, 2001, when his father is caught in one of the Twin Towers and dies as a result of the terrorist attack. Oskar arrives home from school early that day and hears his fathers last words on the answering machine. "The Worst Day", as Oskar refers to it from then on, crumbles his world as he struggles to communicate with his mother.

     A year later, Oskar is snooping in his fathers closet and shatters a vase by accident. Inside was a small envelope with a key in it and the word Black written on the outside of the envelope. Oskar feels that this key is a sign from his father and he was meant to find it. Because it is capitalized, he determines Black is a persons name and sets out on a journey through New York City trying to find the lock that this key will open. Oskar is sure that whatever he finds will answer a lot of questions about his father. He is joined on his quest at times by a mute tenant of his grandmother's, known simply as "The Renter" (Max Von Sydow). Together, the two try to find the right lock and along the way Oskar receives some life lessons that will be with him forever.

     I guess your enjoyment of this film will depend a lot on one thing; whether or not you buy into first-time actor Thomas Horn, who plays Oskar. Horn was a winner of the Jeopardy Kids Week Tournament one year and received the role based on that. Personally, I thought he was great and I sympathized with his character a lot. I've heard a lot of negative reaction based on how he is a difficult kid to listen to or comes across as rude. We have to keep in mind that he is playing a socially challenged youth with autism in this movie. We can't forget that and I feel he pulls off the performance in an amazing way for a first time actor. Hanks and Bullock, while two of the most well-known actors today, are relegated to the sideline for most of this film and their perfomances, while good, are supporting roles. Von Sydow was a sentimental nominee for Best Supporting Actor and while I thought he was fine here, I think this is the one instance where the love may have actually gone a bit too far. It's not THAT great a performance, but fine indeed. I am a fan of Stephen Daldry's, I enjoyed this movie along with a few other smaller films that have earned Oscar nominations for him; The Reader,  Billy Elliot, and The Hours, all movies that don't appeal to the mainstream audience, but should.

     I said at the start that I didn't understand why there is so much hate for this film. The movie is not about 9/11. It's about a young boys journey to discover a supposed last truth about his father that he loved dearly. I was moved to tears a couple of times during this movie. I'm admittedly susceptible to father/son stories but I thought it was very genuine. Maybe this movie is trying to make a bigger statement, and if it is it went completely over my head. That's possible. But sometimes a movie is just a movie, and we need to keep that in perspective. This is just a simple story. One I happened to enjoy very much.