The film EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE is based on a novel that I found profoundly moving. Moving to the point of not being able to shake it for a few days and then opening it again and reading it a second time. The novel was one that I didn't want to end. With each page turn as I got closer to the end of the book, I became sad and went to that imaginary place where I hoped that magically the story would keep going on and on and on. The film version however made me pray for the end to come quickly. It always fascinates me when filmmakers completely do away with the tone of the original source material and come up with something that is maudlin, depressing, and just annoying. The novel had a way of dealing with 9/11 and the aftermath on one particular family that never felt like a plot device. It felt authentic and necessary to the story. The film feels like the exact opposite. It made me angry and ashamed that the filmmakers would choose to relive moments from that day instead of just simply allowing the audience to fill in the blanks and let the story speak for itself. I feel that the film is missing its heart, which is something the novel had plenty of. Tom Hanks is just starting to wear on me. I'm tired of his 'everyman' portrayals and I am ready for him to shake things up. Play a terrorist, play a serial killer, play a woman...just do something different and soon. Sandra Bullock has some very nice moments in a very subtle performance that in a better film might have gotten some recognition. A great supporting cast includes John Goodman, Viola Davis, Zoe Caldwell, and in an Oscar nominated role, Max Von Sydow. Thomas Horn is pretty good as the main character, but he gets a wee bit self-indulgent and whiny at times, which is something the character in the novel never did. Not really sure why this movie is up for Best Picture, unless the Academy Voters felt that the subject matter demanded it, regardless of how the film actually turned out. I can normally separate a novel that I loved from its film version. My favorite book of all time is THE PRINCE OF TIDES by Pat Conroy and even though the film is only half of the novel and too much of a vehicle for Babs, I still love it for what it is. This is one of those rare times that I can't let go of the beauty of the novel and accept what the filmmakers did to it. If you are a reader, go buy the novel and skip the film.
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