The date is February 26, 2012—the
academy awards are celebrating their 84th ceremony with the
theoretical best films of 2011. The best picture nominees contain several
popular and/or critically acclaimed films, yet also several controversial
picks—The Artist finds detractors shocked at its primarily silent
format, while The Tree of Life gains disdain for its
incredibly unconventional style. Yet at the controversial peak is Extremely
Loud and Incredibly Close, a polarized film some believe the worst best
picture nominee ever.
Before its release, director Steven
Daldry's (Billy Elliot, The Reader, etc…) Extremely
Loud and Incredibly Close (based upon the 2005 novel) was highly
anticipated and expected to take home multiple awards—after a lukewarm
reception however, such expectation turned into a critical divide over the
film’s quality. Negative reviews believed the film excessively tacky in
drama while cheaply manipulative in its September 11th usage.
Dislike for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close only grew
after receiving a best picture nomination, with detractors arguing it was
nominated only for the director and anticipation, rather than the film’s
quality—writer Chris Krapek went as far as to call it “the worst reviewed Best Picture nominee of the
last 10 years [and] the worst film of 2011”.
The funny thing about cinema however is it’s all subjective, with one man’s
trash being another man’s treasure. When viewed from an overall
perspective, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was an
incredibly poor choice for best picture nominee—but from an individual
perspective, my perspective, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was
an ideal candidate for the best picture run. I love Extremely
Loud and Incredibly Close—I loved it when first viewed in
theaters, and I loved it again on DVD.
Extremely Loud (which I’ll be abbreviating the film as
from now on) tells the story of Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), a young
boy heavily implied to have Asperger’s syndrome—possessing various symptoms,
the most notable being low social skills (though as Oskar states, “the tests
weren’t definite”). His father Thomas (Tom Hanks) understands his son’s
difficulties, and helps the best he can using creative games, riddles and
adventures. Oskar has a great relationship with his father, who likewise
cared immensely for his son. The main story begins one year after “the
worst day”, when Thomas was killed in a disaster; an emotionally distraught
Oskar discovers his father’s last planned adventure—a lock hidden in a vase
with the name Black written on it. Determined to find the lock which the
key fits, Oskar departs on a journey to find the person named Black—along the
way meeting many new and interesting people, forming bonds and strengthening
his family relationships, all while learning to handle and accept Thomas’
passing.
Notice how I never directly refer
to 9/11 throughout the plot summary? To Oskar “the worst day” (what he
calls the September 11th attacks) is the day his father
died—the day he came home early from school and got to hear Thomas’ last words
on the answering machine. Extremely Loud uses 9/11
because of its powerful impact on America (the book written during the
post-9/11 wake), a way to explore people’s confusion and emotionally complex
responses through the eyes of a confused and emotionally complex child; yet
Oskar’s story does not need 9/11 to work effectively. A disaster killed Oskar’s
most beloved individual, and to Oskar that’s all the attack is—he never thinks
about terrorists, about America going to war or any consequences besides
Thomas’ death. If Extremely Loud was written in the 90s
or during recent years (where the Post 9/11 impact has softened), replacing the
twin tower bombings with another disaster such as a large earthquake or intense
fire—even switching the towers for a different building—the story would remain
the same emotional journey. At its core Extremely Loud is
a psychological examination of loss to an unexpected tragedy, any
tragedy. The film is highly respectful to the September 11th attacks,
yet truthfully uses the event as little more than a plot device—not once
dealing with any political, social, or economic issues regarding the day, both
pre and post timing.
Extremely Loud’s story
is also attacked for being cheaply manipulative and cheesy in its effort to
gain viewer sympathy. I loathe films which try to force strong emotions
through painfully cheap and obvious methods—yet at no time throughout Extremely
Loud is there a forceful tear-jerking or rage-inducing scene.
The film allows for gradual growth between characters and plot, making moments
feel genuinely sad, happy, comedic and/or any additional emotions. My
wife and I got teary eyed during a second viewing, yet such emotion was
experienced during different parts of the film (hers during the first-half and
mine during the second). Extremely Loud doesn’t choose
exact scenes to cheaply manipulate its viewer’s senses, but rather gives
substantial emotional effort to the entire film.
The film has a variety of genuinely
impactful scenes, coming to fruition thanks to its incredible acting
talent. Newcomer Thomas Horn had a very difficult task playing the film’s
emotionally alienated protagonist, yet he does not disappoint—performing Oskar
with exceptional talent and character comprehension. Oskar is a difficult
character to convey—his autistic traits could easily made him desperately
sympathetic or infuriatingly annoying; yet Horn balances Oskar’s difficulties
with a fascinating personality and boundless energy, making him an appealing,
fleshed out character. Max von Sydow delivers his own terrific
performance as the self-muted renter who goes with Oskar on his journey; the
character doesn’t utter a single word throughout the film, rather using a wide
range of facial expressions and vivid movement which give him both vivid
personality and spirit.
Both Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock
give predictably solid performances as Oskar’s devoted parents. These
four prominent characters are displayed to have or form specific bonds with
others throughout the film, allowing one to be engrossed into their lives,
along with the tragic events which befall/befell them. The film builds
the close bond between Oskar and Thomas using well placed flashbacks throughout
the film—having scavenger hunts, going to the park (where Thomas tries teaching
his frightened son to swing), and playing word games such as naming
oxymorons. One devastating flashback displays Oskar listening to his
father’s phone messages as the towers are attacked. The scene wonderfully
showcases Hanks voice acting talent, with each new message getting bleaker as
Thomas realizes what is happening, yet still possessing a calming, thoughtful
air as he says his final words. The devastating atmosphere Oskar
experiences from listening can be cut with a knife—the panic attacks produced
from the event being both highly understandable and efficiently straining to
the audience’s own psyche.
Extremely Loud is a
polarized film of massive proportions. Some believe its best picture
nomination was a terrible decision, while I think it was an ideal
candidate. Some see it as a film about 9/11, while I see it as a story
about unexpected loss. Some find the film cheaply manipulative and
exploitative, while I see it as a satisfying emotional film with terrific
acting throughout. Such divided opinions makes Extremely Loud a
difficult film to recommend—yet I would definitely suggest giving the film a
single viewing. I love Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, I
can say with full confidence it’s in my top five favorite films of 2011—watch
it yourself and make your own decision on such a controversial film.
