Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Name: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Genre: Drama
Released: December 25, 2011
Duration: 129 min
Rating: 46

2011

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Mixed or average reviews based on 41 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 193 Ratings

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5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 193 Ratings

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Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2011 | PG-13

Summary: Oskar is convinced that his father, who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, has left a final message for him hidden somewhere in the city. Feeling disconnected from his grieving mother and driven by a relentlessly active mind that refuses to believe in things that can't be observed, Oskar begins searching New York City forOskar is convinced that his father, who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, has left a final message for him hidden somewhere in the city. Feeling disconnected from his grieving mother and driven by a relentlessly active mind that refuses to believe in things that can't be observed, Oskar begins searching New York City for the lock that fits a mysterious key he found in his father's closet. His journey through the five boroughs takes him beyond his own loss to a greater understanding of the observable world around him. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

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Director: Stephen Daldry

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 129 min

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Critic Reviews

Boxoffice Magazine Pete Hammond

Dec 20, 2011

It's an emotional powerhouse of a film, an unforgettable and rewarding motion picture experience. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Jan 18, 2012

Luckily, Horn is so good -- as is Max von Sydow, in a wordless role -- that the film resonates in spite of the tear-jerking strings Daldry pulls. Read full review

Peter Rainer

Dec 26, 2011

Daldry and his screenwriter Eric Roth make the mistake of showing bodies falling from the Twin Towers – it's a mistake because its graphic power seems more exploitative than cathartic – but they otherwise thankfully refrain from pulling out all the stops. Read full review

Joshua Rothkopf

Dec 20, 2011

We might have all felt like lost children for a while, but ten years later, the innocence is shameless. Read full review

Steve Persall

Jan 19, 2012

The terror of Sept. 11 feels like little more than a dramatic hook, an easy way to make audiences cry. Oskar and the event defining him deserve better. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Dec 22, 2011

Yes, you may cry, but when tears are milked as they are here, the truer response should be rage. Read full review

Scott Tobias

Dec 22, 2011

It will always be "too soon" for Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, which processes the immense grief of a city and a family through a conceit so nauseatingly precious that it's somehow both too literary and too sentimental, cloying yet aestheticized within an inch of its life. Read full review

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User Reviews

KasperZ

Apr 15, 2012

This is the most touching movie i have ever seen. It's hard to find a more moving film than this. I simply do not understand all the negative reviews about this. This is definitely a must see!

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

NJWolfgang

Mar 29, 2012

If there is a single criticism of this film that has any merit is that the piece might be a bit long. The problem is however what do you cut when telling the story? There really isn't much waste in the film when you reach the conclusion of the journey and realize completely the road you'veIf there is a single criticism of this film that has any merit is that the piece might be a bit long. The problem is however what do you cut when telling the story? There really isn't much waste in the film when you reach the conclusion of the journey and realize completely the road you've traveled. The surprise is the understanding that is revealed in the last few minutes of the film that one is continually wondering about through the entire picture. Max Von Sydow gives a lesson in performance that mirrors the performance of Falconetti in the great silent film about the trial of Joan of Arc. Sydow's silent performance is etched in every line and crevice of his face and with each diverted glance of his eyes. He is perfect. Sandra Bullock acquits herself brilliantly. She is as troubled as her son and when the time comes is as revealing as Max Von Sydow's face. Viola Davis once again turns in a superb performance along with Jeffrey Wright. Daldry uses New York City as his landscape and paints the details resoundingly. And yes the pivotal piece of the film is 9/11 but only that 9/11 was the catalyst to the story that evolves and not the story itself. Critics and Bloggers made this piece more about 9/11 than it really was and managed to kill the audience for the piece.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

DawdlingPoet

Nov 22, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is clearly quite an emotional movie, which is fictional in that its based on a novel, not a true story as such. Oskar is at times someone who can appear quite rude and standoff-ish, indeed his father originally planned the treasure hunt as a way to force him to be more social and interact with people. Its clear that he had a particularly strong bond with his father who spoke to him and interacted with him almost as if he's an adult, playing word games with him and teaching him many things. There are numerous characters present in the movie, apart from Oskar, his mother and the scenes with his father mostly at the start of the movie, most of these other characters are the people he meets while trying to trace the keys owner and they are quite quirky and intriguing, with clearly their own issues and stories or backgrounds. The one main character that appears more than others is that of a strange elderly man who doesn't speak and communicates via his hands (with 'yes' written or tattooed on one and 'no' on the other) and hand written notes - Oskar asks him why this is and is rather suspicious, scathing even of it but we never really find a precise answer and somehow they end up as an unlikely duo, indeed rather poignantly ? becomes very close to him and shares things about his father and his guilt he has surrounding details about his death on 'that ? day' - the fact that he seemed unable to respond verbally probably proving quite comforting to him, although I was suspicious (especially given the ocassional piece of dialogue) that he might start to speak, if strained speech, at one or two points. As I mentioned earlier, Oskar is quite rude, offensive even, especially to the doorman, who's played by John Goodman - quite why I'm not sure but I suppose its partly to hint that he's keeping his emotions hidden, since he only really shares the things that hurt him the most to those that are somewhat distant to him.

There are a few twists within the plot, one or two of which I felt was unecessary, indeed at the end I was a bit disappointed with the way that it had ended. Oskar is clearly a very child and the movie is based around the concept of following the clues and never giving up, yet when the puzzle is finally solved, as it were, I thought that the place the final clue or conclusion was discovered was a bit basic, in as much as I questioned why he hadn't checked there a long time before. Not only that but another twist involving the mother made me feel a bit sceptical - I somehow felt a bit disillusioned by the end of the movie, like it could, or should, have ended better somehow, though exactly how im not sure. There were some loose ends which never quite seemed to be answered, although I suppose depending on your outlook, maybe they don't matter too much overall. I wouldn't say the movie is awful or certainly not without its interest, the concept I thought was quite endearing and I like that the movie tells the story entirely from Oskars point of view, having seen a documentary a year or two back about the children of 9/11 victims who were young when they lost their parent(s); I know that they can feel perhaps a bit overlooked at times - there are many movies that have been made which feature or revolve around 9/11 somehow and this one is pretty sensitively done, although I couldn't help but question some things that seemed to go unquestioned throughout.

There is some very poignant dialogue and its quite an emotional watch, as I say, with solid performances from a decent cast including Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and John Goodman. It surprised me to see Bullock in this movie given I didn't think she appeared in too many drama movies these days but that was just a passing thought - some of the harder scenes to watch involve Oskar being confronted by his mum, who Bullock portrays, Oskar having hidden information from her and coming across as quite angry towards her, indeed the dialogue can be pretty heartbreaking.

There's not much in the way of offensive content, its obviously the theme and flashbacks to that day that may disturb some perhaps - one or two of which are rather shocking, the main one that sticks in my mind involving someone jumping from one of the towers.

While the movie certainly has its flaws, mainly in the plot towards the end, I still thought that the basic idea behind it was quite clever and quite endearing. It keeps you guessing as you follow in Oskars footsteps and become quite engrossed in his journey to discover what he believes is the last clue or treasure hunt his dad left him. It is pretty sentimental at times and I'll admit I did shed a tear or two during a specific scene, it is pretty moving at times, so it works well in that regards - if you don't let little details bother you too much (as sometimes I might) then this is a pretty good movie that your likely to enjoy (although perhaps enjoy isn't quite the right term given what its about but you know what I mean).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MegWhiteley

Mar 29, 2012

Extremely Loud and Incredible Close, amazing movie, emotive and all but, I think that the final result be better, but no. I'm started for the cast, the amazing cast. Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Max Von Sydow, are amazing, but for me the weakness is the kid, is some grey, and boring, but haveExtremely Loud and Incredible Close, amazing movie, emotive and all but, I think that the final result be better, but no. I'm started for the cast, the amazing cast. Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Max Von Sydow, are amazing, but for me the weakness is the kid, is some grey, and boring, but have an interesting performance, really, but with a better effort, can be better. Now the screenplay, we watching much movie about the gemel towers, the amazing Remember Me, and other films, and the screenplay is some strange, and boring, in my opinion, but is emotive in some parts. Now the photography, is really beauty, the best part of Extremely Loud and Incredible Close. And finally the rest of the movie, is amazing, have much interesting things, is amazing, but I think that other movies do a better job. In no much words, if you do't wanna watch a complex movie, Extremely Loud and Incredible Close is for you.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

wishmaster

Apr 17, 2012

At the end of the movie, I was neutral, the script and the sense of histotia was flat, good soundtrack, the rest regular, other movies seemed much better to opt in for an Oscar nomination, some faults acting primarily for the guy, I think that responsibility falls on Daldry! which gives us aAt the end of the movie, I was neutral, the script and the sense of histotia was flat, good soundtrack, the rest regular, other movies seemed much better to opt in for an Oscar nomination, some faults acting primarily for the guy, I think that responsibility falls on Daldry! which gives us a movie without Sasson.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TVJerry

Jan 27, 2012

After his father (Tom Hanks) perishes in the World Trade Center, an obsessive boy searches for the lock that fits a key from his father. This journey takes him throughout New York's boroughs and helps him grow in the process (no surprise there). The story has a few good surprises, but theAfter his father (Tom Hanks) perishes in the World Trade Center, an obsessive boy searches for the lock that fits a key from his father. This journey takes him throughout New York's boroughs and helps him grow in the process (no surprise there). The story has a few good surprises, but the unhurried pacing and the boy's neurotic behavior make the experience wearisome and frustrating.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JUANPANB

Sep 2, 2013

Me preguntaba por que me llamo la atención esta película, y caí en cuenta de que solo era por la aparición de Tom Hanks en esta película y su nominacion a los premios de la Academia, me di cuenta que es una de las peores película jamas creadas y que el uso de 9/11 era una especie de burla,Me preguntaba por que me llamo la atención esta película, y caí en cuenta de que solo era por la aparición de Tom Hanks en esta película y su nominacion a los premios de la Academia, me di cuenta que es una de las peores película jamas creadas y que el uso de 9/11 era una especie de burla, es una película muy aburrida y me parece que si la ven perderán su tiempo.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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