Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was not a film I was expecting to enjoy. Yet I found myself moved and reflective.
The novel source Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Saer Foer has been hyped to me for nearly two years, so I was exhausted of the subject when I heard of the film’s release. Though most fans of the original text are scoffing at this Hollywood rendition, I found director Stephen Daltry’s (The Hours, The Reader) narrative provocative with thematic depth and earnest performances.
Oskar Shell (Thomas Horn) is a nine-year-old child coping with the death of his father, Thomas (Tom Hanks) after “the worst day ever” – September 11, 2001. Every Saturday, Oskar’s mother Linda (Sandra Bullock) watches her son embark on a journey he believes set forth by his father before his sudden death.
Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock’s characters are given quite little screen time, which allows Oskar’s story to really come to the forefront. Thomas Horn embodies the troubled soul of the grieving child, one who is also most likely on the autism spectrum (an aspect of the film done naturally and with elegance).
Oskar’s story is tragically relatable, both on personal and societal levels. At its core, the film is a story of growing up, the relationship between a father and son, son and mother. That story is one that speaks to anyone’s core, and is then coupled with Oskar as a national allegory of America in post-9/11 flux. Matters of legacy, innocence, responsibility, identity, and memory are all called into question. Director Stephen Daltry’s addresses them well with both his visual aesthetic and sound-scape.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close certainly will connect with an emotional, sentimental, drama seeking audience – though try not to be put off by the story’s peculiarities. It is that very off-ness that gives the film its essence. It may not be bursting the barriers of filmic art, but it is still a provocative movie experience. It is sentimental without being trite – and on many levels it does hit an authentic nerve. At the very least, it is the beginning of a popular cinematic discussion of post-9/11 America – and it is a worthy story to help break the ice.
– Perry Allen
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close opens in theaters everywhere on January 20, 2012.
