{"id":14479,"date":"2012-02-22T19:09:30","date_gmt":"2012-02-22T19:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=14479"},"modified":"2012-02-22T19:27:47","modified_gmt":"2012-02-22T19:27:47","slug":"extremely-loud-incredibly-close-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2012\/02\/22\/extremely-loud-incredibly-close-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Handsomely made but problematic in places, this drama about a young boy’s grief is likely to provoke wildly differing reactions.<\/p>\n

Adapted from Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2005 novel<\/a>, it explores how a 13-year old boy named Oskar (Thomas Horn) deals with his own personal tragedy the aftermath of the 9\/11 attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After becoming obsessed with a mysterious key in a vase, he embarks on a journey that takes him around New York and \u00a0various inhabitants of the city including his mother (Sandra Bullock), a mysterious neighbour (Max Von Sydow) and a divorced woman (Viola Davis).<\/p>\n

Given the kind of talent producer Scott Rudin<\/a> usually assembles for his movies, you might expect this to be an end-of-year Oscar contender furnished with positive reviews and respectable box office.<\/p>\n

Whilst it ended up snagging a Best Picture nomination<\/a>\u00a0some of the hostility<\/a> – if not outright venom<\/a> – directed towards the film suggests it struck a nerve in all the wrong ways.<\/p>\n

The twin subjects of autism<\/a> and 9\/11<\/a> would prove difficult for even the most talented writers or filmmakers and ultimately proves a stretch too far for Foer and this adaptation.<\/p>\n

Some images (especially one towards the climax) are dramatically misjudged and the film falls into the trap of many literary adaptations by being too literal.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Eric Roth’s dialogue<\/a> is too respectful of Foer’s prose and whilst it may have been tempting to use voiceover to duplicate Oskar\u2019s internal thoughts, over the course of the film it becomes too much.<\/p>\n

Ultimately the film never really finds its own way into the material and the considerably weighty themes.<\/p>\n

But there are stretches of the film that are undeniably moving, and some of the acting on display is both heartfelt and highly accomplished.<\/p>\n

Thomas Horn<\/a> in the lead role has the hardest part: not only is the film shot almost entirely from his perspective, but essentially rests on his shoulders.<\/p>\n

His depiction of the obsessions and particularities of Asberger syndrome<\/a> is remarkable, especially for a non-actor who came to the producer\u2019s attention as a contestant on a US quiz show<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What many have found ‘annoying’ about his performance, seems to me an authentic depiction of a condition that is recognised as being on the spectrum of autism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not liking a performance is one thing, but the casual threats<\/a> of physical violence (even in jest) suggest an ignorance and intolerance that is disquieting.<\/p>\n

Although billed above the title, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock have supporting roles and nicely play against their usual star personas with performances of quiet dignity.<\/p>\n

Max Von Sydow<\/a> brings his usual gravitas to his role as ‘the Renter’, which bears interesting similarities to Jean Dujardin’s role in The Artist<\/a>, and is a reminder of his considerable acting skills.<\/p>\n

The best performances are Viola Davis and Jeffrey Wright, who demonstrate impeccable emotional precision in their small, but perfectly formed roles.<\/p>\n

Even though the narrative is a journey around New York (specifically, an unofficial ‘sixth borough’ Oskar’s father had created for him) much of the drama takes place inside apartments, offices or houses.<\/p>\n

Like his British contemporary Sam Mendes<\/a> I’ve long harboured the suspicion that director Stephen Daldry<\/a> instinctively prefers theatre to film.<\/p>\n

Perhaps that is why so many of his films contain scenes with actors in confined spaces.<\/p>\n

Positive side effects of this include powerful performances and the fact that he surrounds himself with talented crew members.<\/p>\n