By Owen Robertson, Staff Writer
January 20, 2012, saw the national release of the new Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock movie Extremely Close & Incredibly Loud. Since its release, this movie has enjoyed a modest box office return, strong critical acclaim for the entire cast, and two Oscar Nominations for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for veteran actor Max Von Sydow.
The core story of this movie is about a young presumably autistic child, who lost his father on September 11, 2001. The previews present a sense of a journey that this child takes after his father has died. Hanks and Bullock are given top billing for this film, which is deceptive. Bullock herself only appears in the film for 24 minutes, but every one of them is worthwhile.
The disaster of 9/11 is in fact a backdrop to this story. While it is a central plot device, it is not the story. This is a movie about a young boy trying to connect to his father who has been taken away from him by a senseless act. It is about the journey of Oskar Schell trying to find sense in senselessness.
The cinematography of this movie is both engrossing and unsettling. Director Stephen Daldry makes excellent use of the camera to be incredibly close in many shots, so close in fact that the eyes of the actor do seem to allow the audience into their minds, to feel their loss and their pain. There is not a single actor who wastes a moment on the screen. Hanks and Bullock, both Oscar winners and beloved by audiences are, in fact, minor characters despite their top billing.
The performance by young Thomas Horn as Oskar Schell is compelling. This is Horn’s first appearance on screen. He was discovered by a producer after appearing on the television show Jeopardy in a teen tournament and he is brilliantly cast in the role. Viola Davis, from The Help, also appears in a wonderful supporting role, providing the bridge for Oskar’s character and the final resolution to his search in the end of the movie.
But it is veteran character actor, Max Von Sydow, who’s performance is powerful beyond measure through silence. This actor is forced to work without words, which is the most usual means of communication for an actor. In this film that tool is taken away from him. While it is true he still has written words that he writes in a little notebook or on his hands, he does not speak, instead he conveys every emotion through his face and his body. In a career that dates back to 1949 this is only his second academy award nomination and hopefully a win for him.
There is not a wasted performance in this film, brilliantly done with the backdrop of 9/11 the film, it is worthy of its Oscar nomination and very much recommended.
