At the Movies: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Oskar Schell is an awkward and vaguely anti-social kid, who adores his father and loves going around New York City in the adventures and quests his father, Thomas, plans for him.  

But after the September 11 attacks, his life changes completely as his father, Thomas, was in the Towers when it happened and died as a result. Always closer to his father than to his mother, Oskar is left in shock, more afraid than ever.

Then he finds a key in his father's closet and is convinced it's part of one of the quests his father used to send him on, so Oskar becomes obsessed with finding the lock that fits the key, thinking it will bring him answers and closure. 

He designs a plan and gets help from an elderly man renting a room in Oskar's grandmother's house. The Boarder doesn't speak - hasn't for years -but maybe that's why Oskar feels like he can talk to him and tell him his secrets. 

I went to see this movie expecting I would like it, I had heard that it was good, but I'm sad to say I didn't like it.  I found the kid, Oskar - played by Thomas Horn - to be incredibly annoying and I failed at connecting with him 100%. He was just plain unlikable. 

The story itself wasn't bad, and I would have probably cried like a baby had the central character been more likable, because it was pretty heartbreaking and I thought the grown ups were very good playing their parts. 

As it is, I give Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close a C-