Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES III & IV • February 1, 2012 Family deals with loss in post 9/11 New York Hanks appears briefly at the beginning of the film and intermittently later on in flashback to illustrate the strong bond between father and son. The elder Schell was fond of creating mind problems and engaging Oskar to work on them. The puzzles would involve putting together clues and allowing Oskar to unravel them with minimal assistance. With his father gone, a huge void is left in Oskar’s life and he creates a kind of secret shrine to his dad, which includes the answering machine containing the last words spoken by his father on The Worst Day -- recordings even his mother hasn’t heard. Horn is clearly the focus of the movie. His Oskar is bright, determined, unconcerned with his own limita- tions, and consumed with his quest. Because his Oskar is somewhat off -- not the typical kid next door -- it’s tough to identify with him. Viewers feel for his loss on a non-emotional level because it is what anyone would feel about a kid who has lost his dad. This is not to disparage Horn, who delivers what is asked of him. However, because his Oskar skews from the norm, he has some resistance to overcome to engage the audience. Horn is not terrific at eliciting instant empathy. Because he doesn’t approach his grief in traditional fashion – with crying, moodiness, and withdrawal -- he is an oddity. This creates an emotional distance between character and (continued on Crossword page) Thomas Horn and Tom Hanks star in ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.’ by Dennis Seuling In “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” nine-yearold Oskar (Thomas Horn) faces life without his father, Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks), who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, a time Oskar refers to as “The Worst Day.” Oskar happens upon an envelope among his father’s possessions. The envelope is labeled “Black” and inside is a key. Oskar enjoyed the treasure hunt and riddle games his dad was always inventing for them, and figures this key might be one last game his dad left for him. Surmising that Black is someone’s name, Oskar determines to visit everyone in New York City with that name to find out what the key opens. A socially awkward kid who was tested for Asperger’s syndrome, Oskar devises a methodical plan to visit each and every Black on his list, borough by borough, neighborhood by neighborhood. Because he has psychological issues with the subway and buses, he sets out on foot to pursue his quest during the weekends, carrying a tambourine to calm his nerves, as his mother (Sandra Bullock), caught up in her own grief, passively watches. Oskar is assisted in his journey by an elderly man (Max von Sydow), a mute who rents a room from Oskar’s grandmother (Zoe Caldwell).