Jo Reviews

I dare you not to find yourself captivated with “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”, a heart wrenching story about a young boy who loses his father in the life altering events of September 11, 2001. Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) shares a special relationship with his father Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks). Oskar is very different from most kids his age. He has a love for history, inventions and adventures of all kind. Most adventures created by his father. He also has a fear of crowds, trains, buses, subways, loud noises, airplanes and a plethora of things that make it very hard to live in the bustling city of New York.

Thomas is a loving father who is making his living as a jeweler and as Oskar would say on the worst day his father was in the World Trade Center for a meeting. Thomas makes several phone calls to his wife and home over the course of an hour or two from the time the tower was hit to the moment it collapsed. It is a reality that the world has seen played out over and over again, but this time we are seeing it through a child’s eyes. A child who knows at the very moment that he has lost his father forever.

Oskar is going through the emotions and trying to not forget his father as time passes. He is having a hard time communicating with his mother Linda (Sandra Bullock), who is also suffering the loss of her husband. As the two try to move forward Oskar finds a way to remain close to his father with his latest adventure. He finds a key his father has hidden away. Wondering what it could possibly open he begins to trek all over New York City to find what the key may open. With few clues to go on and desperate to find what his father left behind it seems hopeless.

What Oskar finds along the way are caring people who are sharing their stories as well. He finds he is not the only one dealing with sadness and loss. Eventually the key opens a lock, but not to what Oskar was hoping. In the end Oskar finds closure and a way to reconnect not only with his father, but his mother too.

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” is an inspirational film that managed to cover the sensitive event of September 11 in a graceful way. This tragedy affected so many families and you get an exact idea of how much the children were impacted. Thomas Horn who portrays Oskar is truly amazing. This young gentleman makes his acting debut in “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” and you would think he had been doing this forever. The emotion he manages to evoke in a single scene is brilliant. He captivated me and had me living with him through the emotions. He makes the film and his journey is one that you will not want to end. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” is a film that won’t be forgotten and will have an impact on many.