** out of **** For me, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is about as difficult to hate as it is to like or even love. The reviews seem quite divided over Stephen Daldry's adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel, with some calling it manipulative melodrama and others considering it effective and very moving. The Academy surely saw something special in the picture, as exemplified by their decision to nominate it for Best Picture at the 84th Academy Awards; although then … more
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE Written by Eric Roth Directed by Stephen Daldry Starring Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow and Tom Hanks Making movies about the September 11 tragedies is unquestionably tricky. You don’t want to gloss over the facts and you definitely don’t want to exploit the pain but you also have to ensure that your movie is not so bleak and depressing that no one ends up seeing it. EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE, the latest film by Oscar … more
Star Rating: Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close represents the best type of sentimentalism there is, in which the aim is not to make you cry but to actually tell a story that will resonate emotionally. It’s not a fairy tale, a fable, or a parable; it’s simply a film that works more on the heart than it does the brain. I don’t always appreciate narrative contrivances, but in this case, I have to admire Daldry and screenwriter … more
Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) shares an incredibly close relationship with his father, Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks). Oskar is an extraordinary child who has some very particular social quirks. His list is rather extensive and it's revealed that he was once tested for Asperger's Syndrome. However, Thomas Schell spends a great amount of time with his son and does everything he can to help him overcome his fears. However, on September 11, 2001 as the world changes forever, tragically so does the … more
By Joan Alperin Schwartz 9/11...All you have to do is say that date and most people will have a reaction...usually an emotional reaction...And for me, that emotion is one of saddness...for the senseless loss that so many people experienced. And now, ten years after that infamous day, Stephen Daltry has directed a beautiful, moving film about...loss. 'Extremely … more
Saw this on my afternoon flight from Hong Kong to Singapore just last Thursday. I had often wondered how children who lost their parents during the Sep. 11 attack would react and cope with life after learning about their parents' demise. Unbeknownst to me at the time of watching, I had to deal with the unexpected death of a childhood friend that very night. The shock and subsequent reactions to the news is not something one who hasn't experienced will know what it's like. I'm … more
Truly a lovely movie. Thomas Horn, the child who is in pretty much every scene, is a wonder, especially given the fact that he has never acted before. His face fills the screen for so much of the story, and he does an amazing job with the range of emotions he had to play. I was VERY happy to discover that the film was not made to me manipulatively weepy, as so many can be. I was also happy to see that there was almost no footage of 9/11 in the movie. The director uses the actors to express the gravitas, … more