Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Iseerphia All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The Movie Diorama Nominated for Best Picture back in 2011 which garnered some hate, with many considering that it should've been omitted. I can say with the utmost of confidence, I infinitely disagree to the nth degree and I've calculated that the percentage of those unfair critics were wrong. A young boy with traces of Asperger's syndrome stumbles across a key that his father hid away before his death during the 9/11 attack. We join him on a journey of self discovery as he tries so desperately hard to find what it unlocks. This is without a doubt one of my favourite dramas. It leaves me breathless after every viewing, beneath my lifeless exterior I become an emotional wreck. A narrative rich with character, emotion and sweetness that it'll have you smiling, laughing and tearing up. It's a simple story about closure, a boy wanting the seemingly impossible unanswered questions answered. With this, we experience a tale of people, grief and loss. To illustrate the importance of everyone having their own story and sharing them felt refreshing to watch. Overcoming fears, family relationships and the tragedy of a terrorist attack were also included. Yet the plot never felt overstuffed, each element was dealt with such love and tenderness that they intrinsically linked together to create a relatable story. The 9/11 attack never felt exploited, it was a means to project melodrama and how the characters dealt with their emotions differently. To then include Asperger's Syndrome allowed our main character to have a different perspective to the tragedy. He didn't immediately cry or visibly show grief, instead he kept it in his intricate mind which established a difficult relationship with his mother. His unpredictable and distraught behaviour enabled moments of conflict with other individuals which heightens the emotional investment to the story. The acting was magnificent (particularly Horn and Von Sydow), the score was touching, perfectly paced...my appreciation for this drama knows no bounds.

shoobe01-1 I do not get how anyone can claim this is manipulative, since every movie is filled with "Be Scared Now!" or "Be Sad Now!" musical cues so loud you cannot hear dialog, or is found-footage where every character looks at the camera and says what they are thinking. Filmmakers: show, don't tell! Eric Roth has come a long ways, and I found this to be very well done film and one which solves the big problem of the Big Event (or biography) the right way. Take a small slice out of it (or the aftermath), have some emotional tie, have the protagonist evolve. Keep focus, avoid montage. It works quite well in this regard. Sure, he went on a more or less literal journey so it was a little on the nose there, but it wasn't one we don't all encounter. It's a great way to discuss loss and grief, and in the over-the-top way of dealing with it, lets us understand how we and everyone handles it.

Screen_Blitz It was September 11, 2001 when our nation was gripped with a devastating tragedy, a tragedy that lead to the disappearance of the twin towers at the hands of terrorists from Al-Qaeda. As the planes crashed and the towers collapsed, millions of people watched as thousands of innocent lives were lost. Since this day, it has become a day America will never forget. This catastrophic event serves as the emotional backdrop of this melodramatic drama inspired by the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. Director Stephen Daldry, the man responsible for 'Billy Elliot', 'The Hours', and 'The Reader' makes a somewhat competent translation of Foer's novel which strictly centers on a youth struggling to make sense of the tragic event that snatched a great chunk of his life away from him. It is safe to say Daldry's efforts pay off in some areas but still leave something more to be desired in the process. This film stars young Thomas Horn as 11-year old Oskar Schell who's developed a close relationship with his father Thomas Schell (played by Tom Hanks) through their adventures of trekking the streets of Manhattan in their scavenger hunts. When the 9/11 attacks suddenly hit New York, young Oskar and his mother Linda (played by Sandra Bullock) are abruptly hit with tragedy upon learning Thomas is killed in the catastrophe. One years rolls by and Oskar wanders into his father's closet to find a key on his coat. Out of curiosity, Oskar goes on an emotional trek to find where his father's secret key leads to while forming a bond with a silent elder man (played by Max Von Sydow).This emotionally charged drama piece is certainly doesn't turn out as the firmly haunting vehicle Stephen Daldry and writer Eric Roth aim for. But it is clear that this movie at least has it's heart in the right place. After all, the film efficaciously builds up a deeply emotional atmosphere surrounding the tragedy that leaves the lead character lost in a sea of uncertainty and loneliness. The young lad has just lost his father, he has no friends, and has ever since felt emotionally distant from his mother who he rarely takes the time to talk to. As the story proceeds, Oskar morphs into a character you learn to sympathize with, especially for those who have to dealt with a similar tragedy or perhaps lost a loved one in the 9/11 attacks. The main area in which the film falters is the story elements. Stephen Daldry and Eric Roth engineer a story that desperately calls for viewers to weep buckets. While some of the story elements are somewhat successful at scoring this, the others tend to come off a bit contrived to the point of being a little exploitative than genuine. That is not to say Eric Roth doesn't know how to come up with a realistic tale, especially one that hits close to home. After all, the performances are at least decent, particularly Max Von Sydow as the muted elderly man who's performance is limited to sign language and him writing words on his bare hands when communicating with the lead character. Tom Hanks does a fine job but his severely limited screen time render his performance less memorable than most of his other roles, the same can be said about Sandra Bullock in her role as the mother. Finally, Thomas Horn's performance is pretty average, constantly alternating back and forth between genuine and emotionally forced. Then again, Eric Roth's screenplay is easily the reason behind this.Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a mildly solid drama that has the performances, the direction, and the ingenious message about learning the accept the reality of how some things are left unanswered to make for a marginally entertaining cinematic piece. In other hand, its overly contrived script is a major factor that keeps the film from reaching the masterful cinematic piece to sets out to be.

docrog-2 As was the case with the equally excellent movie "Everything Is Illuminated", also adapted from a novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, we follow the journey of an intellectually gifted but socially awkward (Autism? Asperger's Syndrome?) young man who is attempting to unravel a family puzzle of great personal importance. In both instances the circuitous pathway which slowly takes shape ultimately significantly touches more lives than just the seeker of truth, ending not only in bittersweet knowledge, but also in personal reconciliation. Both movies contain moments of situational humor, but are predominantly infused with the sadness and confusion which are at the core of each young protagonist. This movie had many strong performances (especially the lead actor, Thomas Horn, in his debut- and only- movie role to date) and, to my eye, not a truly false note. I realize that this film has received more than its share of negative reviews, being called terms such as "9/11 Porn" and "extremely exploitative", but I found it to be incredibly moving, well crafted and certainly worth seeing.