Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

This is one of the better films that extrapolates from that horrible day on September 11, 2001 in a moving fictional story. Although sentimental in tone, it is difficult not to admire the stellar cast and the clever plotting of the film.The principal conceit of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is the process of a search that is foreshadowed at the start of the film of the young Oskar Schell taking the challenge of his dad to search for a non-existent sixth borough of New York. That search transitions into a search for the missing box that will be unlocked from a key left by the father prior to his death on 9/11.The little kid who plays the role of Oskar was described in the DVD bonus segment as a child genius who learned Mandarin and won a bundle on the television show Jeopardy, prior to being recruited for the film. The mantra of Oskar is "never stop looking"--words that were circled on a newspaper clipping left behind by the father.My favorite character in the film was the Renter, an elderly man from the old country who befriends Oskar and helps him on his quest. Max Von Sydow was terrific in the role of the "silent" character, whose past life is never revealed in the film. Could the Renter be the father of the dad, whose name appears on the logo of the family jewelry business, Schell & Son Jewelers?SPOILER ALERT: The mother character, played effectively by Sandra Bullock, loved the son so much that she was shadowing his every move in the long search through the boroughs of New York for the missing lock. She met with the various Black members on the son's checklist, preparing the people for his visit. Unfortunately, this moving part of the story led to a major plot hole, as the couple who owned the vase and ran the estate sale should have been alerted to the importance of the key by the mother's visit, prior to the arrival of the son. There were other instances where the film stretched credibility. It tended to venture into the area of the supernatural, just falling short of a film like "The Sixth Sense" in the improbable search of young Oscar and the connection of sixth borough plot with the lock-and-key. It was almost as if the Renter could have been a figment of Oskar's vivid imagination. At some point, the filmmakers had the obligation to have everything make sense in such a realistic film.

Nominated for Best Picture back in 2011 which garnered some hate, with many considering that it should've been omitted. I can say with the utmost of confidence, I infinitely disagree to the nth degree and I've calculated that the percentage of those unfair critics were wrong. A young boy with traces of Asperger's syndrome stumbles across a key that his father hid away before his death during the 9/11 attack. We join him on a journey of self discovery as he tries so desperately hard to find what it unlocks. This is without a doubt one of my favourite dramas. It leaves me breathless after every viewing, beneath my lifeless exterior I become an emotional wreck. A narrative rich with character, emotion and sweetness that it'll have you smiling, laughing and tearing up. It's a simple story about closure, a boy wanting the seemingly impossible unanswered questions answered. With this, we experience a tale of people, grief and loss. To illustrate the importance of everyone having their own story and sharing them felt refreshing to watch. Overcoming fears, family relationships and the tragedy of a terrorist attack were also included. Yet the plot never felt overstuffed, each element was dealt with such love and tenderness that they intrinsically linked together to create a relatable story. The 9/11 attack never felt exploited, it was a means to project melodrama and how the characters dealt with their emotions differently. To then include Asperger's Syndrome allowed our main character to have a different perspective to the tragedy. He didn't immediately cry or visibly show grief, instead he kept it in his intricate mind which established a difficult relationship with his mother. His unpredictable and distraught behaviour enabled moments of conflict with other individuals which heightens the emotional investment to the story. The acting was magnificent (particularly Horn and Von Sydow), the score was touching, perfectly paced...my appreciation for this drama knows no bounds.

Even with several household-name actors, this film is a miss. Bad writing is largely to blame, BUT the BIGGEST problem is the hugely objectionable KID, whom it is the easiest thing in the world to DESPISE intensely. I found myself shouting at the tv screen early in in the film, when this little jerk was presenting some of the most irritating and annoying lines I've ever heard. I still don't quite understand what the fick is all about, but that may be because the hideous brat and the substandard scripting affected me severely. What I can definitely say is that this is one motion picture you should skip, unless you adore one of more of the big names AND love awful kids!

I do not get how anyone can claim this is manipulative, since every movie is filled with "Be Scared Now!" or "Be Sad Now!" musical cues so loud you cannot hear dialog, or is found-footage where every character looks at the camera and says what they are thinking. Filmmakers: show, don't tell! Eric Roth has come a long ways, and I found this to be very well done film and one which solves the big problem of the Big Event (or biography) the right way. Take a small slice out of it (or the aftermath), have some emotional tie, have the protagonist evolve. Keep focus, avoid montage. It works quite well in this regard. Sure, he went on a more or less literal journey so it was a little on the nose there, but it wasn't one we don't all encounter. It's a great way to discuss loss and grief, and in the over-the-top way of dealing with it, lets us understand how we and everyone handles it.