REVIEW: EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
There's no easy way to review a movie about 9/11 without bringing up views that are going to offend some people. So let me start this out with something a little unorthodox: a quote from rapper Lil Wayne. I'm not the biggest Weezy fan but I did watch his "Behind the Music" special a few years ago. Regarding Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, Wayne said: (and I'm paraphrasing because it was a while ago) "Why should y'all care about Katrina? That's my hometown. Why are y'all so worried about it?"
Wayne meant why did anyone who wasn't from New Orleans care about what had happened so much? The same thing could be applied to 9/11: We weren't in the World Trade Center. Why should we care? Sorry if the quote seems a little out there, but I think Wayne had a point, and I can solve it. It's nationalism. When terrorists come on to American soil and take down a symbol of not only New York but America, we feel angry, hurt and most of all confused. I certainly remember where I was during 9/11, in a situation like "ELIC's" Oscar, played magnificently by Thomas Horn. I was picked up at lunchtime, and watched the hell break loose in New York on the television. My mom tells me I said: "Why didn't God protect the people on that airplane?" when the second tower was hit.
I'm not here to talk politics, this is just a movie blog after all. I hate politics, all it is is a divider of families and friends, and 9/11 is probably the most discussed world topic to date. People have theories I care less about; one thing for sure is that most Americans felt hurt, defeated and destroyed with burden. Whatever was the cause, four airplanes killed 3000 lives and America's spirit for a while. Of course we got back on our feet, but every anniversary the sting gets worse, at least for me.
Now take all that and put yourselves in Oscar's shoes: his only true friend, his father, died on what he (and everyone else, agreeably) calls the "worst day." The grief engulfs him and becomes part of his daily routine. So much anger lives inside of him he actually tells his mother (played to perfection by Sandra Bullock) that he wishes she had died in the crash instead of his father. That's about the worst possible thing you can say to anybody, let alone your mother. When he tries to take it back and says he doesn't mean it, she just shakes her head and says "Yes you did," which is about accurate. The chemistry between Hanks (the father) and Horn is dynamic, by the way.
By now you've all read into the movie, seen the trailer where Oscar has to find the key his dad left him, trying to find out where it fits into. I didn't like seeing John Goodman in a role where he has maybe 3 minutes on screen. He was cast brilliantly in fellow Best Picture nominee "The Artist" this year; his role is more of a cameo than anything in "ELIC". Viola Davis does well, but in terms of supporting roles, the film belongs to Max von Sydow's mute "Renter," who communicates with Oscar through notes and facial expressions. Max's Academy Award nomination was justly rewarded, the movie drags quite slowly in the first half until he appears.
So in the end you can decide for yourself if "ELIC" is a tear-jerker, or "manipulative with the subject." I've read that in several reviews. To me it doesn't do that, it keeps real 9/11 footage to a minimum, which I respect. I'll admit I cry at the movies ("Toy Story 3," "The Green Mile" to name a few), but this one didn't do it for me. I heard several people in the theater sniveling, and I heard one girl go "Yeah, it was sad, but I don't cry in public," which I thought was kind of funny.
Did it deserve its Oscar nomination for Best Picture? Like I said, you decide: go see it for yourself. The movie works to a certain degree: there's never going to be a movie that makes you feel good after seeing those horrific 9/11 images. The best we can do is keep moving on, like Oscar ultimately does (no spoiler alert). Going back to the Wayne quote, we don't feel sad for events like 9/11 and Katrina because we're obliged to. We're sad because we feel the same amount of hurt.
Rating: 2.5/4 stars
I'm not here to talk politics, this is just a movie blog after all. I hate politics, all it is is a divider of families and friends, and 9/11 is probably the most discussed world topic to date. People have theories I care less about; one thing for sure is that most Americans felt hurt, defeated and destroyed with burden. Whatever was the cause, four airplanes killed 3000 lives and America's spirit for a while. Of course we got back on our feet, but every anniversary the sting gets worse, at least for me.
Now take all that and put yourselves in Oscar's shoes: his only true friend, his father, died on what he (and everyone else, agreeably) calls the "worst day." The grief engulfs him and becomes part of his daily routine. So much anger lives inside of him he actually tells his mother (played to perfection by Sandra Bullock) that he wishes she had died in the crash instead of his father. That's about the worst possible thing you can say to anybody, let alone your mother. When he tries to take it back and says he doesn't mean it, she just shakes her head and says "Yes you did," which is about accurate. The chemistry between Hanks (the father) and Horn is dynamic, by the way.
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| Max von Sydow stole many of the film's scenes |
So in the end you can decide for yourself if "ELIC" is a tear-jerker, or "manipulative with the subject." I've read that in several reviews. To me it doesn't do that, it keeps real 9/11 footage to a minimum, which I respect. I'll admit I cry at the movies ("Toy Story 3," "The Green Mile" to name a few), but this one didn't do it for me. I heard several people in the theater sniveling, and I heard one girl go "Yeah, it was sad, but I don't cry in public," which I thought was kind of funny.
Did it deserve its Oscar nomination for Best Picture? Like I said, you decide: go see it for yourself. The movie works to a certain degree: there's never going to be a movie that makes you feel good after seeing those horrific 9/11 images. The best we can do is keep moving on, like Oscar ultimately does (no spoiler alert). Going back to the Wayne quote, we don't feel sad for events like 9/11 and Katrina because we're obliged to. We're sad because we feel the same amount of hurt.
Rating: 2.5/4 stars
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