Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: Movie Review

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" will confuse you, shock you and disturb you for most its first three quarters. It won't make sense and it might even be a frustrating experience for some. But patience is truly a virtue as all of its pieces will fit by the end of the film. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" will feel unconventional with its no-holds-barred approach but it is also this same thing that makes it play with your emotions easily.

Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) is an inventive eleven year-old whose accidental discovery of a key in his deceased father’s belongings sets him off on an urgent search across the city for the lock it will open. A year after his father (Tom Hanks) died in the World Trade Center on September 11, on what Oskar calls “The Worst Day”, he is determined to keep his connection to the man who cajoled him into confronting his wildest fears. Now, as Oskar crosses the five New York boroughs in a quest for the missing lock, he begins to uncover unseen links to the father he misses, to the mother (Sandra Bullock) who seems so far away from him and to the whole noisy and dangerous world around him.

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" at first glance may seem to be a film geared towards children but in fact, it is far from that. It is a bitter reflection of what transpired more than a decade ago and a believable interpretation of how those left behind might react to the worst day. But the thing about this film is that it is a confusing one for most of its parts. You will struggle to understand the lead character Oskar's actions - his actions and reactions even felt disturbing at times. The film is so hazy during Oskar's journey that we even found ourselves frustrated. But after one key moment were everything is finally revealed, it all suddenly makes sense and the frustrating parts we spoke about take on a new light. Those scenes are really reflections of Oskar's own struggle (physically and mentally) in coping with his father's death. Of course, none of these would be effective without the outstanding performance of Thomas Horn who wowed us with his versatility and complexity. In the end, this film may not be for everyone, but for those brave enough to give it a a shot and be open to its story whole-heartedly, then this is one of this year's moving films.

Rating: 4 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- it's unconventional, realistic and gritty approach will play with your gamut of emotions
- Thomas Horn has a lot of potential after his rookie showing here

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the film may not be for everyone's palate as it is shocking even disturbing