The film stars young actor, and silver screen newcomer, Thomas Horn. Horn plays a precocious and wise beyond his years young boy named Oskar Schell that goes on a journey to find the lock to a key he found of his father's (Tom Hanks), after his death on "the worst day" of September 11, 2001. Oskar embarks on a journey to find the lock to a key, but along the way he finds people with hundreds of stories not dissimilar to that of his own. Stories of family, faith, friendship, love, loss, and essentially, life.
September 11th is the most infamous day in modern American history and that day has shaped the lives of the people that lost someone on that horrendous morning. Extremely Loud is a movie about stories. Everyone has one, and not everyone's story has a happy ending. The one thing that separates us, is simultaneously the very same thing that connects us. Our lives are constantly moving and changing. Nothing stays the same and it is that single fact that makes life difficult and beautiful.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is without question one of the best films of the year. Sandra Bullock, who plays Oskar's mother, gives an impeccable and truly gut-wrenching performance. Tom Hanks is as charming as he was in 1994's Forrest Gump, and you will fall in love with him all over again. Thomas Horn is a young actor that I hope we see much more of. With the Academy Awards on the horizon and the nominees just released, I can confidently say that Horn was robbed of the Best Actor nomination. He absolutely gives one of, if not the best male performance of the year. The Best Picture nominee received, however, could not be more well-deserved.
There are no words that I could personally express that would perfectly explain and illuminate how excellent this picture really is. It's a film for all of us. Go to your local theater and see a real film this weekend. See Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
Have you read the book (just curious)? So my big gripe with both is seemingly one of the reasons why you love it. I actually get turned off by the fact that they ride the emotion of September 11th. I think it's a cheap and easy route for the author to have taken because of how personal and emotional that day is to every American. Great movies and books often make you reflect internally because a character, story, etc. resonates with you. But for me, they took the easy way out and achieved that resonance by making the audience relive and remember that day.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of heart-wrenching movies, think of how PS: I Love You made you feel. The story and characters were very original, but it panged the same needle-in-the-heart that everybody who has ever lost a love one has felt. I just felt like this book/movie lacked that creativity in invoking emotions
Nah I haven't read the book but that's a fair critique. I'm not sure I agree as that being the best way to look at it though. I feel like a movie/book about that day needed to be made an be given a storyline that's not necessarily autobiographical or "based on true stories." I think the movie is great because it does a really good job of showing how that day connects all Americans. It was one day in history where all people came together and had real compassion and comraderie. I thought the storyline of the movie did a really good job of displaying that humanity. 9/11 is a real day in American history and I don't think a movie being made about it can be cheapened on emotion because those are real emotions from a very real event.
ReplyDeletePS I Love You is one of my faves, by the way! Great story as well but I don't think those two types of storylines with the emotions that they provoke can be compared. I think they are pretty specific incidents.