Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Film 26/50

Before I can begin discussing this film, I need to explain a few things. First, I loved the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. LOVED IT. Jonathan Safran Foer did a phenomenal job writing his novel, and I felt unbelievably conflicted when I heard that they were making a movie out it.

Then I saw the trailer. And I found myself even more conflicted. Tom Hanks? Sandra Bullock? For real? At least the unknown they had cast as Oskar looked like the boy I'd imagined while reading the book.

So it took me a while to get around to seeing this one. I'd heard mixed reviews. But I'm glad I eventually got around to seeing it. While I didn't love it as much as the book, it had its moments.

What I loved most about the movie...Max von Sydow as The Renter. His character never says a single word and yet gives the best performance of the film. Thomas Horn (Oskar) was also good, although I get the impression he suffers from a similar awkwardness in real life as his on-screen persona. Guess I'll have to see his second acting attempt before I make an official ruling on his performance. Tom Hanks was Tom Hanks...but with a weird shoulder shrug move. Sandra Bullock made me cry. John Goodman as Stan the Doorman was a pleasant surprise. Oskar's grandmother, who had been a major component of the book, was barely seen in the film.

As for the story, a good deal had to be changed in order to make this film. The book takes on three perspectives: Oskar's (first person narrative), his grandfather's (in the form of letters to Oskar's grandmother), and his grandmother's (letters to Oskar). The movie chose instead to follow Oskar alone and barely considers the grandparents. And my recollection of the novel's Oskar is very different from Horn's portrayal. While the film's Oskar maintains many of the social quirks that the book presented, Horn's Oskar has a mean-streak to him (something I fail to recall witnessing in the text). There were also significant alterations and/or omissions of several major events and plot points found in the book...including the removal of Oskar's "one hundred dollar" lines.

Regardless of the significant differences between the book and the movie, I did still appreciate the film adaptation. But they are two entirely different journeys.  If you have not read the book, I highly recommend it. I also recommend that you pick up an actual print copy, as the layout of the book (particularly the sections with the grandfather's letters) is not something that translates to an audio book.