Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

[a_person]

Regarding Greenwich Picturehouse screening:

Please note that the start time on Sunday morning is 11am, not 10.30am as stated on your ticket. You will be sent a reminder with an opportunity to reprint tickets with correct time.

Pleased about this!

The Sparrow messaged me last Friday to tell me this information and asked I update my FF post which I did. That start time applies to all the Picturehouse cinemas. They always start at 11am.

[kevinknapman]

Saw this last week but I'm only now allowed to give my opinion on it due to a daft embargo (in line with it's wide US release today)
I have to admit I was fully prepared to dislike this film. It seemed from the trailers and the synopsis like the worst kind of Oscar-baiting film. Not only that but it's 9/11 backdrop seemed mildly distasteful. It's story of a boy who goes on a quest to discover the lock that a mysterious key he finds in his fathers closet will fit did sound horribly whimsical as well.
So I was fairly surprised when I actually liked the film a lot more than I thought I would.
Though it's still a fairly problematic film with the occasional misjudged moments (a falling man image repeated a few times seems a little distasteful, especially during the opening credits). On the whole though I found it a very emotionally involving and engaging story. Sentimental yes but I felt it earned it's sentimentality in a fairly honest and truthful manner.

The acting is very strong. Thomas Horn is excellent as Oskar. Many will find his character annoying and that will undoubtedly affect your enjoyment of the film as he's on screen for most of the film. I thought he was very impressive personally, especially when you consider that he has no acting experience and the only time he's been on screen before was as a contestant during quiz show Jeopardy's kid's week. Tom Hanks is fine in the relatively short amount of time he's on screen, if perhaps a little too good to be true. It's Sandra Bullock who impresses most though and really gives the film a fair part of it's emotional weight as the mother who is struggling to connect with her son. She isn't in it enough as she should be, though there is a (not entirely convincing) reason for this. Interestingly there was supposed to be a whole sub-plot where she goes to a support group and meets a man played by James Gandolfini but it ended up being cut (his name actually appears on early trailers). Max Von Sydow is also very good as a mute neighbour who joins Oskar on his quest.

Well directed by Stephen Daldry with wonderful cinematography by experienced veteran Chris Menges, it's a film that is by no means perfect but one I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would.
Although I think it's fair to say that a lot of people are still likely to dislike this film a lot and find it as false and distasteful as I expected to. However I personally think it's a film worth seeing.

[elski]

great review kk, just getting my ticket printed for this morning.

[Beate]

You just panicked me, it's tomorrow, right?

[elski]

You just panicked me, it's tomorrow, right?

For you, for me it's today although I'm still worried I'll turn up and they'll say it's a mistake but it's what the booking site and ticket says. And I've booked today off and working tomorrow so it better be be today.

[Beate]

Oh the Sky one, sorry, yes.

[prettyxcool]

Anyone going to Clapham Picturehouse? The Northern line is running (except the Barnet line).

[elski]

Well make sure you take a pack of tissues, I normally only need one tissue but this time I had to get a second one out and had to blow my nose too but I heard other people reaching that stage as well so at least I wasn't the only one weeping.

I thought it was pretty good, just the 9/11 thing made me a bit uncomfortable in places. At first I found it a really great charming film and thought that's it's ok as they haven't over-played the whole 9/11 thing, that was before they did! For me I would have liked it better if they'd have his dad die suddenly in some fictional disaster or accident it still would have been a great story about a boy coming to terms with his father's death. I really didn't think it needed to borrow extra sympathy from 911 it still would have been very emotional without it. I loved all the different characters he got to meet, lots of little details in cinematography and in small exchanges with John Goodman and other characters. I thought the boy playing Oskar was great, he would have made a much better Hugo.

I agree with kk about the falling man thing too the bit about it that's really making my head hurt is that [spoiler]Oskar was such a clever an logical boy so why would he think his dad died that way? I thought when we eventually got to the 6th message there'd be evidence to think that but it was the opposite. His dad was still in the building and on the phone when it collapsed. And that adds to the feeling that they're 'using' 9/11 too much in the film.[/spoiler]

8.5/10

We had a different Sky guy today, maybe older Sky guy doesn't do 10am on Saturday mornings!

And luckily I turned up before 10:20 as the started the trailers at 10:20 on the dot. We got BEMH, This Means War, Titanic, The Vow and the trailer for The Hobbit. The Hobbit one made my heart beat quicker just to see it on the big screen!

[stuartboy]

Having seen the trailers and read a few of the reviews above I wasn't sure if I would like this. It could have been very sentimental and saccharine-sweet. It turned out to be surprisingly entertaining and offered the right amount of various emotions. I found the film to be rather original in its story and concept and the acting especially from the lead, whilst not perfect, was rather impressive. Even his voice over was a lot more realistic than some other child actors I have heard whist not being so over the top Hollywoody either. I was so glad at how the film concluded without it having a stupid Tiseltown ending where so-and-so shows up and was never really dead after all sorta thing.

I just can't believe that there are only 472 people named Black in New York City! Must be thousands in London. Only one in my village though - me of course. Lol. Also is a Chinese woman really likely to be called Black?

A surprising hit for me - 8.5/10

[elski]

It depends, would you find that many in the phone book though? most people don't want to be in it to avoid cold calls...