“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” rivals “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” as the worst title in the history of cinema. The latter wins by a Wicked.
“Loud” is based off a 2005 novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. It boasts a star studded cast – Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, and John Goodman. But have no illusions, these greats play backup roles in the story.
Released in 2011, its one of the first movies to set its focus on the events of September 11, 2001. It received incredible backlash at the time, a mere ten years post tragedy. How does it fare a decade later?
Oskar Schell is an autistic child. He enjoys solving puzzles and is particularly close with his father (Tom Hanks) who is killed on September 11. Oskar finds a key amidst his father’s belongings, and embarks on a quest across New York City to find the lock that matches.
On its surface, that sounds like an amazing plot. But the film has so many missteps it never gets off the ground.
Thomas Horn plays Oskar Schell. Despite the big names mentioned before, he’s the star of the show. And serves as narrator. And he’s in literally every single scene. It’s not that he’s bad. He plays the part he’s given which, at times is a tough one to root for. We get little of Hanks and Bullock as his parents. Less of John Goodman as the doorman for the building.
The late Max von Sydow portrays a character that meets Oskar and joins him on the quest. It’s a touching relationship but even that is glossed over to thinly. And the events themselves feel way too contrived to be meshed with a tragedy like 9/11.
Stephen Daldry directs, and doesn’t help matters. At 130 minutes, it’s too long. And frankly, boring. The movie does a good job showcasing the way an autistic sees things – but that gets annoying as time goes on.
Certain beats work. That Oskar is seeking closure, and gets a final adventure with his dad are nice. A touching score is reminiscent of an 80s style adventure film.
Twenty-plus years after September 11, it doesn’t get easier watching a bad movie focused around it. “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is nothing above average.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close can be streamed if need be.
