Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - (December 25, 2011 – Limited; January 20, 2012 - Wide): PG-13
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office: #4 with $10,045,332
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $20,941,702
Gross Revenue: $20,941,702
Production Budget: N/A
Director: Stephen Daldry
As news of a child-driven family drama set against the events of 9/11 was brought to the attention of Hollywood critics and analysts, there were a number of factors that helped set expectations for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close insanely high. The first noteworthy element involved the inclusion of A-listers like Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, both of whom were sure to deliver strong performances and draw support from their substantial fan-bases. Another strong indicator for how this emotionally-charged drama would perform during Awards Season was the direction of Stephen Daldry, who boasts the unique distinction of having all of his feature films earn nominations for either Best Picture or Best Director. In terms of appealing to a mass audience, trailers positioned the drama as a definitive tearjerker, but I couldn’t get past the abrasive and annoying personality of young Thomas Horn…plain and simple, I found him insanely irritating. Given mixed critical reaction, imagine my surprise when I learned that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close nabbed a nomination for Best Picture; now I would have to see the movie!
Telling a story concerning how to recover and continue-on after unspeakable tragedy, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close introduces audiences to Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), a young social outcast with Asperger’s Syndrome who shares a special relationship with his eccentric father, Thomas (Tom Hanks). Oskar’s world is turned upside down when Thomas is killed in the attacks of September 11th, and the young boy struggles to relate to his mother, Linda (Sandra Bullock), and hold on to the memory of his father. Nearly a year after the attacks, Oskar discovers a key hidden within an envelope inside his father’s closet, with no distinguishing marks aside from the name “Black” written on the envelope. Having played several scavenger activities with his father, Oscar becomes convinced that the key will unlock a secret message; as such he methodically seeks out each “Black” listed within the Five Boroughs, inquiring about his father and the lock that the key might fit. Along the way, Oskar meets several New Yorkers struggling to rebuild after the attacks, such as Abby Black (Viola Davis), who is suffering through a divorce. Oskar’s eccentricities and curiosity charms many, including The Renter (Max von Sydow), an elderly mute man who rents a room from Oskar’s grandmother and decides to aid the boy in his quest. As the search becomes more and more complicated, Oskar begins to despair that he may never unearth his father’s last message, but along the way he discovers several truths about both himself and his family related to bravery, mourning, and hope.
To call Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close emotionally jarring is a complete understatement, but the end message is so unbelievably stirring that you cannot help but walk out of the theater with a smile, and that is why this drama fully earned its Oscar nomination. In addition to pulling and tearing at the heartstrings, this Best Picture contender also showcases some brilliant acting, the most apparent being the shocking performance of young Thomas Horn. The trailers gave no indication that Horn’s character had a developmental disability, so without that knowledge, I could only assume he was just an irritating kid; now, in retrospect, in portraying the symptoms of Asperger’s so convincingly, the young actor is shockingly brilliant. As for the adult talent, buzz was created when Matt Lauer gave Sandra Bullock grief for only appearing in twenty-three minutes of the two-hour running time, but the celebrated actress owns every minute she is on camera and will undeniably melt your heart. Add these strong performances to the unique and chilling pacing of the story, and you will find yourself drawn-in and just as curious about the mysterious key that the engaging central character is seeking so desperately.
If I had to pick any true criticism of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, I would question the film’s overt and sometimes exploitative use of the 9/11 tragedy framing, alongside under-use of a few key cast members. We all have strong memories of the 9/11 attacks, and the film certainly knows how to send that chill down your spine once again, but sometimes it just feels a little too strong…it’s almost like, “I’m still crying, lay off already!” In terms of supporting cast, Max von Sydow is surprisingly charming as Oskar’s elderly companion (no wonder he’s been nominated for Best Supporting Actor), but I would have liked to see more contribution from Viola Davis or John Goodman, the latter of whom plays an abrasive doorman. I am not trying to downplay their performances on any level, but I still think that the narrative should have made more room for these highly recognizable faces. Aside from these qualifications, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close remains a thoroughly uplifting and deep surprise for moviegoers that should simply not be missed.
From a box office perspective, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close generated impressive amounts of buzz after its extremely limited opening, and so I was a little surprised that audiences didn’t respond a little more strongly for the wide release. Still, you cannot fault the film for its performance against other mass appeal releases like Underworld: Awakening and Red Tails. Due to my inability to identify a legitimate production budget for the film, I cannot comment on Warner Bros. covering its costs, but maybe this drama will make more of a dent as Oscar’s Night approaches. At the very least, young Thomas Horn is a definitive talent to watch; he has undoubtedly made a shaking impression on Hollywood and his future career is very promising. If you are in any way on the fence concerning Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, I cannot emphasize enough how much you need to see this emotionally loaded and fully memorable drama.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
