Very good, very good

Rudy 2022-03-24 09:01:59

"Extremely Loud, Very Close" doesn't seem like a flattering movie. I read some of the comments, and the criticism is mainly focused on the plot that is not real enough, and the slightly blatant sensationalism. These narrative problems do exist. But the flaws are not hidden, and the story itself is still moving enough. Someone on IMDB commented, "If your father or mother died, then I'm sure you'll love this movie." That's true for me, my dad passed away, and that's probably why it resonated so strongly in my psyche, so I liked it.

×××××××There are key plot spoilers below, if you haven’t seen the movie, please read carefully

. Yes, for most of the film, the boy is really unbearable, loud, snarky, nasty to his mother, even saying "I want you to die, not dad" to his face if.

But in my opinion, this is precisely the most successful part of the film. Through the director's choreography, I had very complex emotions for the little boy during most of the time I watched the movie. Disappointed, and even a little angry at his meanness and hurt to his relatives, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for his memory of his father. There was also a little anxiety, because the solace the boy really needed came from his mother and grandmother, not the keys he was so desperately looking for. I am very worried about what kind of fate this paranoid putting the cart before the horse will bring him.

It was not until the end of the film that the little boy told the truth. On the day of 911, he did not have the guts to pick up the phone call from his father who was trapped in the Twin Towers before he died. This transformation dispelled all previous confusion, anxiety, disappointment, and anger, like a gust of wind blowing away the dense dark clouds. What he experienced was not only the death of his godlike father, but also deep remorse and shame. Because at that moment, he did not have the courage to stand with his father. This kind of pressure is completely unbearable for a 10-year-old child. The only thing he can do is to transfer his guilt to the person he can rely on most - his mother. And as an audience, all I have left in my heart is endless sympathy and pity.

So, if one day, you find that your loved ones around you start to hurt you, it is likely to indicate that they are suffering from inner suffering and need you to share. Don't be disappointed in them, don't abandon them. Be patient and look for answers, just like the great mother in the movie.

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Extended Reading

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close quotes

  • Oskar Schell: Dad told me, he said: I really love your mother, she's such a good girl.

  • Linda Schell: Why do you find it so hard to talk to me?

    Oskar Schell: In case you haven't noticed, half the time you're asleep.

    [sarcastically]

    Oskar Schell: And the other half of the time, you forget the first half. You're what they call in the law "in absentia": an absent parent.

    Linda Schell: That was mean.

    Oskar Schell: Which part?