The Aftermath of a Cataclysmic Event
In "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," 9-year-old Oskar (Thomas Horn) faces life without his father, Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks), who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, a time Oskar refers to as "The Worst Day."  Oskar happens upon an envelope among his father's possessions.  The envelope is labeled "Black" and inside is a key.  Oskar enjoyed the treasure hunt and riddle games his dad was always inventing for them, and figures this key might be one last game his dad left for him.  Surmising that Black is someone's name, Oskar determines to visit everyone in New York City with that name to find out what the key opens.<br /><br />A socially awkward kid who was tested for Asperger's syndrome, Oskar devises a methodical plan to visit each and every Black on his list, borough by borough, neighborhood by neighborhood.  Because he has psychological issues with the subway and buses, he sets out on foot to pursue his quest on foot during the weekends, carrying a tambourine to calm his nerves, as his mother (Sandra Bullock), caught up in her own grief, passively watches. Oskar is assisted in his journey by an elderly man (Max von Sydow), a mute who rents a room in his grandmother's (Zoe Caldwell) apartment.<br /><br />Tom Hanks appears briefly at the beginning of the film and intermittently later on in flashback to illustrate the strong bond between father and son.  The elder Schell was fond of creating mind problems and engaging Oskar to figure them out.  They would involve putting clues together and allowing Oskar to unravel them with minimal assistance.  With his father gone, a huge void is left in Oskar's life and he creates a kind of secret shrine to his dad, which includes the answering machine containing the last words spoken by his father on The Worst Day -- recordings even his mother hasn't heard.<br /><br />Young Mr. Horn is clearly the focus of the movie.  His Oskar is bright, determined, unconcerned with his own limitations, and consumed with his quest.  Because his Oskar is somewhat off -- not the typical kid you'll find next door -- it's tough to identify with him.  We feel for his loss on a non-emotional level because it's what anyone would feel about a kid who's lost his dad.  This is not to disparage Mr. Horn, who delivers what is asked of him.  But because his Oskar skews from the norm, he has some resistance to overcome to get the audience engaged.<br /><br />Mr. Horn is not terrific at eliciting instant empathy.  Because he doesn't approach his grief in traditional fashion -- crying, moodiness, withdrawal -- he is an oddity.  This creates an emotional distance between character and viewer.  We are interested up to a point, but then start wondering.  Shouldn't this kid be in therapy?  Is it safe for a young boy to be traveling the boroughs alone?  Isn't it the responsibility of an adult in his life to explain the folly of his goal and keep him safe?<br /><br />Director Stephen Daldry and writer Eric Roth have put together an excessively sentimental tale about loss, healing, and acceptance with little attempt at subtlety or restraint.  Under Daldry's direction, Mr. Horn must carry the picture, and though he gives it a Herculean try, he can't salvage a flawed script.<br /><br />There are several additional problems.  First, many of the characters remain sketchy.  Oskar's mom, his grandmother, a certain Mr. and Mrs. Black (Jeffrey Wright, Viola Davis) and especially the elderly renter are curiously underdeveloped.  Because the relationship Oskar forms with the elderly man is the boy's first real bond with another human being since the death of his father, it approaches poignancy, but Daldry simply uses the character as an interesting footnote rather than as someone who has a lasting effect on the youngster and his search for the impossible.<br /><br />Jonathan Safran Foer, the author of the novel on which the film is based, incorporated information about the effect of the Allied bombings of the German city of Dresden on the Schell family and contained ruminations on terrorism, war, and personal lives thrown into chaos by politics.  These are absent from the movie, leaving it more about communal healing than about national trauma but not making us feel an emotional investment in its characters.<br /><br />Sentiment is fine in a Lassie movie or in measured doses in mainstream films.  What feels wrong in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" is its obvious manipulation.  Director Daldry uses a child in an emotional tailspin in a blatant attempt to win our hearts but keeps us at arm's length, never quite succeeding in embracing us.  We start as spectators and remain so.<br /><br />The film has a rambling nature until the elderly renter joins Oskar in his trek around the city.  There is great chemistry between the two, and von Sydow's exceptional performance elevates the movie considerably.<br /><br />Rated PG-13, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" plays as a mystery predicated upon a young boy's desperation to solve his father's unintended final riddle.  As a picture about grief, it shows that the loss of a loved one takes different tolls on different people and each bereaved person must get over it in his own way.  Actual images of the 9/11 tragedy are fleeting, fortunately, and serve mostly to express the horror of the day. Ultimately, the movie never fully involves the viewer.  The fine performances far surpass the caliber of the script.
The movie title "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Movie Only Edition Blu-ray + Ultraviolet Digital Copy)," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.5 from 3023 reviewers. 
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 {"Format": "Multiple Formats, Ultraviolet, Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ultraviolet, Digital_copy", "Contributor": "Nora Skinner, Stephen Daldry, Scott Rudin, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Max Von Sydow, Thomas Horn, Eric Roth, Viola Davis, Jeffrey Wright, Mark Roybal, Celia Costas, Jonathan Safran Foer, John GoodmanNora Skinner, Stephen Daldry, Scott Rudin, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Max Von Sydow, Thomas Horn, Eric Roth, Viola Davis, Jeffrey Wright, Mark Roybal, Celia Costas, Jonathan Safran Foer, John Goodman  See more", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "2 hours and 10 minutes", "MPAA rating": "PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)", "Package Dimensions": "6.6 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches; 1.6 Ounces", "Director": "Stephen Daldry", "Media Format": "Multiple Formats, Ultraviolet, Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ultraviolet, Digital_copy", "Run time": "2 hours and 10 minutes", "Release date": "March 27, 2012", "Actors": "Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Horn, Viola Davis, John Goodman", "Subtitles": "Spanish", "Producers": "Scott Rudin, Celia Costas, Mark Roybal, Nora Skinner", "Studio": "Warner Home Video", "Writers": "Eric Roth, Jonathan Safran Foer", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Mourning the loss of his father (Tom Hanks) one year after he died in the 9/11 attacks, young, intelligent New Yorker Oskar (Thomas Horn) discovers a key in their house that he believes may literally unlock a secret about his dad's life. Hiding the quest from his mother (Sandra Bullock), Oskar seeks out a variety of people in the city, including a mysterious old man (Max von Sydow) who does not speak, but may have something to teach. Based on the Jonathan Safran Foer novel; John Goodman, Viola Davis co-star. 130 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish..