Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Dir: Stephen Daldry
2011
**
I can see hints or should I say remnants of Jonathan Safran Foer in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close but I'm not sure anyone can claim this is a pure visualisation of the story he wrote. Apart from the fact that it's main character is hugely annoying (not sure if it's Oskar or Thomas Horn that is annoying) and that it, excuse my cynicism, blatantly pulls at the heartstrings for Oscar glory - although that I can live with, its biggest flaw is its anticlimax. I'm sorry, but I want to know what's in the box - I know that it isn't what the film is about but break it down in to its simple form (and it is a simple film), the viewer has had their expectations built up, so you have to deliver. The book is a very clever idea that is entirely about the aftermath of 9/11 as far as New Yorkers are concerned. The film version is something a little less tasteful than that. There are certain things you can say in books that you can say in film and vice-versa, this film crossed that line. It's not offensive, it's just a little bit pathetic. Max von Sydow's performance makes up for this films failures but only ever-so slightly.