Review: 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close', starring Thomas Horn and Tom Hanks

There is a perfectly good reason why so many have abstained from making films about the 9/11 tragedy, and it's that over the last decade it remains a polarizing event in this country's history. Not in terms of it's impact, but in how it should be presented on the silver screen. How do you approach the most traumatic event in many people's lives with the proper respect? Is it possible to make a film about the lives lost at the World Trade Center without taking advantage of the pain so many continue to suffer? To make a movie like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which is going to open up a lot of old wounds, something has to be offered to make it worthwhile to audiences.

Stephen Daldry has the daunting task of directing this adaptation of Jonathan Froer's popular novel, and while he's a great filmmaker for certain types of novel adaptations, he's perhaps the wrong man for something that requires such a delicate balance between authenticity and emotional manipulation.   Oskar Schell(Thomas Horn) is a a weird, but overly intelligent kid who may or may not be suffering from a form of Asperger's Syndrome. Weird, not because of his affliction but how it manifests. He harnesses his fears by banging a tambourine wherever he goes. He obsesses over the minute details of things, and knows an incredible amount of information on the trivial. In a way, Horn is perfect for the role, considering his knowledge of the trivial led him to be a contestant on Jeopardy.

We learn fairly early on that a crucial figure in Oskar's life is no longer present. His father, Thomas(Tom Hanks), a bright and encouraging presence to his son, who nurtures his smarts with unique puzzles and games, died when the towers fell on 9/11. Oskar calls this the "worst day", for reasons more than just the obvious, but a deeper mystery surrounding the events of that horrible morning, the effects of which caused Oskar to treat his surviving mother, Linda(Sandra Bullock) with scorn.

How could he not? Oskar idolized his father, and in flashback we see an idealized version of Thomas, whose presence hangs over the entire film. In what will sound a lot like Martin Scorsese's Hugo, an adventure emerges when he uncovers a key hidden in an envelope marked "Black". Being the unconventional boy that he is, Oskar doesn't just hang on to it as a memento, but concludes that the key will lead him to one final message from his father, in the safe keeping of someone with the name "Black". This leads him on a quest through out New York to speak with everyone with that last name, hoping that someone can perhaps fill the hole in his heart.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is best viewed in relation to other films on the subject. Spike Lee deserves credit for being the first to make us truly confront our anger over what happened on 9/11, with his powerful, vengeful drama 25th Hour. He challenged us to really get angry, to really look at  the spot where the towers fell and get mad about it. To confront what happened and not be able to turn away. Paul Greengrass's technically brilliant United 93 showed us the mass hysteria surrounding the attacks, giving us the cold details of many of our government's failings. World Trade Center, while a terribly flawed film, was a showcase for the heroes, which in it's way was exactly what this country needed at the time. But what does this film offer exactly? It's not catharsis, although that's what many will claim. It's not understanding, either.

So what is the point? All we really get is this one irritating boy's Goonies adventure through New York City. Along the way Oskar meets a number of people who are meant to represent those left behind after 9/11. The always amazing Viola Davis and Jeffrey Wright play a divorcing couple who will play a major role in Oskar's journey, although it's a bit strange they'd be so receptive to Oskar's harassment as they are struggling with their own immediate problems. That is the fantasy land this film inhabits, and while it may read pretty good in the novel, it comes off as trite on screen.

The same goes for Oskar, who some will find merely quirky but will be unlikable to everyone else. While brilliant, chatty, and confident when necessary, he's also unnaturally cruel. In particular, the level of anguish he inflicts on his mother would make him the villain of any other film. What makes him so intolerable is his selfishness. While it may be ok to attribute some of this to his age, Oskar is completely unaware of everybody else's troubles. He's so bullheaded on finding this key and making himself feel better that he has no awareness of the pain he's causing every single person in his life, and that includes those he meets in his quest.

That self importance afflicts the film as a whole, as Daldry does everything in his power to make you feel...something. Anything. Mostly sadness. In one particularly harsh and tone deaf scene, Oskar plays the final voicemail messages from his father as he was struggling to reach his family while trapped. He plays these for a mysterious stranger(Max Von Sydow), who while unable speak, begs and pleads for Oskar to stop. But he plays on. For at least five minutes of unbearable, emotional torture. Why? Daldry, and this has been a recurring problem with him, seems to think that if he can make you cry then he's done his job and the Oscar nominations should follow. Unfortunately, far too many have let him get away with it.

Other than a rare moment between Oskar and his father, very little is actually earned. Despite finding Oskar to be insufferable, Thomas Horn is actually very good in the role. He acclimates himself quite well opposite heavyweights like Davis, Wright, and Hanks. Bullock continues to be a perplexing actress for me. People love her, but she never really plays characters of any depth. They are always flat, one note characters who work one character trait for all it's worth. She was a spitfire and little else in The Blind Side, and now here she's just the misunderstood, grieving mother waiting for her moment to make everything golden again. Hanks and von Sydow are excellent, though. It's that trust and love we've built up over Hanks' career that adds a layer of poignancy to his performance.Von Sydow has the toughest job, having to express a lot without being able to speak.

Daldry has never had a problem re-imagining what's on the printed page into something glorious on the silver screen. His version of New York City is beautiful, epic in the way it should be through the eyes of a child.  Few will be able to withstand the emotional onslaught, and will find themselves getting a little weepy, At the end, though, many will probably be wondering for what reason they put themselves through it all.