Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Starring;

Tom Hanks

Sandra Bullock

Thomas Horn

Max Von Sydow

Director;

Stephen Daldry

In three words; Poor – Long - Annoying

Plot;

Struggling to come to terms with the death of his father in the 9/11 attacks in New York City, Oskar finds a key in his father’s belongings. He has no idea what the key is for but set out to find out more about it. Using what little information he has he sets about travelling across Manhattan to find answers.

Review;

Oskar (Horn) narrates the film and is also the central character. He is a gifted young man who is intelligent beyond his years yet he struggles in social environments. Although it is not confirmed in the film or book it would seem that he has Aspergers tendencies. Oskar is struggling to cope with the lost of his father, who truly was his hero. His mother and grandmother, who lives across the road, attempt to fill the void yet their love just isn’t enough for him.

Oskar starts his adventure when he finds a strange looking key in amongst his father’s belongings. Confused what the key is for he decides to find what it opens. He keeps this from his mother and anyone else around him but when he meets the lodger (Von Sydow) at his grandmother’s apartment he enlists his assistance.

The film is based on the book of the same name which was written by Jonathan Safran Foer. Having, previously read the book I was very much looking forward to the film adaptation. Given the strength of actors on show with Hanks and Bullock I was expecting strong performances from all. Ultimately, they and young Thomas Horn played their respective parts well. However, this is a perfect example of when a book doesn’t work as a film. In the book Oskar is an endearing character who has odd behaviour, like not wanting to use public transport due to it being potentially attacked by terrorists, he also has a tambourine which he shakes whenever he is nervous, which is all the time. However, when this is transferred on screen, particularly the tambourine, it is extremely lame and incredibly annoying!

Stephen Daldry is the Director and I think that he has not been ambitious enough in this film. He should have been stronger and ditched things like the tambourine. I also believe that Max Von Sydow character, The Renter who apparently lodges with Oskar grandmother, is a completely redundant aspect of the story. He is not needed and I think it’s ridiculous that he was nominated for best supporting actor at this year’s Oscars. Ultimately, the Academy award went to Christopher Plummer for his role in the Beginners. A film I am yet to see however, I believe this further supports the theory that if an older actor is nominated he is more likely to receive the award ahead of his younger peers.

I digress; The Renter should have been discarded as a character whilst further emphasis should have been made on Oskar’s grandmother and mother. Condensing a book into a screenplay is surely a difficult task however one cannot also put everything from a book into a film. I quote Stephen King, ‘Books and movies are like apples and oranges. They are both delicious but also completely different.’  I would expect better from Eric Roth who adapted the screenplay.

The main problem I have with this flick is the rather sickly relationship Oskar has with his father. This should be joyful and also tragic as it was in the book however this has not transferred well. It was rather tiresome at times and the more Oskar was on screen the less I actually wanted to see him! Oskar and his family live in, what is without doubt a very expensive apartment on Park Avenue in New York City and their wealth is a distraction which renders part of the story unbelievable. For example, Sandra Bullock’s character works in an office in New Jersey.  I think was used as a location just so the Director could get a shot of the Twin Towers under attack while Sandra Bullock looks towards the city feeling rather useless.

To make this a successful film there had to be many changes from the book which hasn’t happened. You cannot rely on big names to carry the film but it would seem they have been used to sell it. The film drags at times and becomes nothing more than annoying. It is laughable that it was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars!

Verdict;

2 out of 5.