Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

We have a fourth feature from director Stephen Daldry on the horizon.

The man has built quite a track record, having directed three films that all managed to snag an Oscar nomination (think >, >, or >). Now, we’re looking at his fourth outing, which—if current predictions are anything to go by—is already being whispered about as another potential contender.


SYNOPSIS: A nine-year-old amateur inventor, jewelry designer, astrophysicist, tambourine player, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left by his father when he was killed in the September 11 attacks.

TRAILER

IMDb

It sounds like some kind of rigged bet: "Just give me Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, and a nine-year-old kid, and I’ll walk away with an Oscar nomination!" Lame. 😁

Just finished reading this book by Jonathan Safran Foer, and honestly, it hit me pretty hard. It's a real tear-jerker.

But yeah, it definitely feels like an Oscar contender.

It’s nowhere near an Oscar contender—it feels a bit... lukewarm? A little dull, really. The story is fine, and it's decent enough to watch, but S. Bullock and Tom Hanks are just supporting players here—you barely even see them... 6.5/10

I actually really dug it
People keep saying it's just pathetic Oscar bait, but honestly, that doesn't make it a bad movie to me
It’s an interesting watch—lots of heart, the kid is solid, and those intense monologues hit hard. Plus, it leaves you with a real message, which is cool

Sure, the dad could've been in any accident, it didn't have to be 9/11, but hey, it works

For me, there were moments where it felt truly great, followed by stretches where it fell flat—leaving me with a somewhat mediocre impression overall. The story itself is compelling, but I can't help but feel the film could have been much better.

I had high hopes, but honestly, I’m finding this nearly impossible to sit through.
It’s been two days and I still haven't managed to finish it.
The kid's performance is great—really—but man, the whole thing just feels incredibly grating.
I haven't read the book.

What was your take?

Mark Walker97 said:I had high hopes, but honestly, this is a tough watch.
I’ve been struggling to actually finish this movie for two days now.
The kid’s performance is great, but man, everything about this feels so irritating.
I haven't read the book.

What did you guys think?

True, me too. I was expecting some massive, spectacular ending, but nothing. I don't think the movie is bad, per se, but it's just exhausting.

Personally, I thought the movie was great. Maybe I’m being biased because that book means a lot to me, but honestly, I think they nailed it.

I honestly don't understand what the hell critics were thinking with this movie. I just can't reconcile the impact it had on me with those Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores. It’s such a beautiful, warm, and genuinely touching film—I have to admit, my eyes were pretty watery by the end, and there were so many moments that just left me with a genuine smile on my face. This was actually the only film from the 2012 Oscar Best Picture nominees that I hadn't sat down to watch yet, and man, did I miss out. It stands out as one of the better American films from an otherwise pretty weak year. I feel somewhat bad for the cynics who seem to be cold toward everything else; they call this one pretentious, but it makes me wonder why the Oscars went to the most pretentious film of the year—The Artist—when there were other contenders in the mix (looking at you, The Tree of Life). If I had to pick a flaw, maybe the ending felt a little clunky, but overall, it really made my day.

9/10