The anticipation of seeing a movie is fun. Trying to figure out the story and what will be shown on the screen can be an entertaining mystery as you get clues from friends and trailers. If the film is based on a book, even better.
Since “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” was released in major markets around Christmas, there is a lot of information to be found. Try not to read too much or take in too much information because you do not want to ruin it.
Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks) is a jeweler in New York. He lives with his wife, Linda (Sandra Bullock), and his son, Oskar (Thomas Horn). Thomas and Oskar have an incredible relationship, one that includes respect and love and incredible friendship. Thomas and Oskar would play reconnaissance expedition, where Thomas sends his son out to find things and learn about the world. As Thomas tells his son, “If things were easy to find, they wouldn’t be worth finding.”
Life is fine for the Schell family until Sept. 11, 2001. Thomas is at a meeting on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center. He doesn’t make it home. Oskar is sent home from school early but doesn’t realize that anything is happening until he gets back to his family’s apartment.
Oskar doesn’t understand why the family is burying an empty coffin at the funeral. He is trying to make sense of what happened to his father and then he finds a key. The key was hidden away in his father’s closet inside a vase. He thinks it is one last mystery he must solve in order to keep his father close to him, one last mission of reconnaissance expedition.
Staying away from information, or as they are called now, spoilers, would be a great idea. After seeing this film though, you may want to rest and take in what you’ve seen on the screen. The plot builds masterfully piece by piece, layer by layer until the wonderful end of the story encompasses you and gives you a great warm hug. Emotions abound as Oskar struggles through his search until it comes to its ultimate completion.
This film will pull at your heart strings and then play a beautiful melody with them. Thomas Horn plays Oskar perfectly. This is his first film and please let there be more. Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock may have been at their best when this was filmed and Max von Sydow as “the renter” wonderfully overcomes the obstacle that his character has in the movie.
This film deals with some very heavy emotions, so be careful taking younger children. It could be over their heads. There are some disturbing images from the 9/11 attacks, and you will encounter some language in the film. There is also some smoking and drinking in certain scenes.
In some ways this film is a tribute film, a tribute to those who lost a loved one in the 9/11 attacks. At the same time, though, it is a ride that will fill you up emotionally. When a story is shared in such an intriguing and wonderful way, you want to share it with others. You want them to share in the emotions you felt when you saw it.
See this film, and share it with everyone.
Shawn O'Neill is the Family Man Movie Reviewer on BYU Radio. His reviews can be heard on BYURadio.org and on SiriusXM Channel 143.