Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)  

Review written July 2012

Introspective study of grief and loss, benefitting from some great performances

Although hinging on the events of 9-11, this is not a movie about 9-11. In fact it is the story of one boy, who must come to terms in his own unique way with the loss of his father. The boy is a sensitive soul, and looks at the world with a unique set of eyes.. possibly he has Aspergers, but it is never made clear. His relationship with his father (Tom Hanks, who has minimal screen time, but whose presence is nonetheless felt through much of the movie) was strong, with Hanks spending plenty of time with him, setting adventures for his son that would encourage him to interact with the outside world. When 9-11 takes his dad's life, he sets off on a final quest, to find the lock that fits a key he has found in his dads things.

First of all, it has to be said that Thomas Horn, playing the boy, carries the movie - he gives a quite extraordinary performance, which compels you to believe his world. Without this performance the movie would be very slight indeed, relying somewhat on contrivance as it does. Of course there are memorable supporting roles too.. notably Max von Sydow playing an elderly mute who shares an emotional bond with the boy. These characters along the boys journey, combined with his performance, really make the journey worthwhile, as we see the boy learning that his loss is not the only loss in the world, that through the microcosm of the city he meets on his quest for the key, he understands more about what his father wanted for him, and makes emotional steps as well as figurative ones.

There are times in the movie that the sense of grief is laid on just a little too thick, mostly in the scenes with Bullock as the boys mum and Hanks widow, to the point where I wondered if I really wanted to spend two hours in their company. However as the movie ties up the loose ends (perhaps a little too neatly?) at the end, the final result is rewarding and poignant in a positive way. It's almost a shame that the story does not leave a little more unanswered, as the result is moving, yes, at the time - but leaves little to ponder or to resonate in the days after you watch it, robbing this of classic status. Having said that, however much I was aware how the movie was manipulating me, it actually did successfully push my buttons. No movie can really encompass some magical coming to terms with something on the scale of 9-11, but viewed as a personal and introspective story, this actually works pretty well.