I knew I would love the film from the trailers, especially in light of the fact that Stephen Daldry directed another of my all-time favorite films, Billy Elliot, about an extraordinary boy who, like Oskar, struggles with the loss of a parent at a young age. Interestingly, Billy Elliot was released into theaters a year before September 11th, and the week I was released from an extensive hospitalization which left me frail and depressed. I will never forget how the opening sequence of Billy leaping gracefully with ballet moves "like electricity" to his favorite record lifted my spirits. This opening is skillfully echoed by Stephen Daldry in the beginning shots for Extremely Loud, although in a much more somber manner.
Trailer 1: "My Dad said, "Sometimes we have to face our fears."
Trailer 2: "If things were easy to find, they wouldn't be worth finding."
It must not have been easy for Stephen Daldry to find Thomas Horn, the 13-year-old first-time actor/newcomer who, despite his lack of acting training or experience, delivers an innately moving and emotionally complex performance as 9-year-old Oskar. The energetic and agile spirit of movement that Thomas Horn embodies as a small boy who could fit into tiny spaces and run through New York City streets brought back the spirit of dance that was, of course, a part of Billy Elliot. A recent "For Your Consideration" online article praises young Thomas, saying in part:
“Thomas Horn, who gives perhaps the most extraordinary performance by a child in a leading role in recent cinematic memory (above Anna Paquin who won the Oscar for her supporting role in “The Piano,” and on a par with Keisha-Castle Hughes who was nominated for her newcomer leading role in “Whale Rider”), particularly considering the fact that he had no previous acting training and yet delivers an incredibly moving and frenetic 8 minute monologue at a pivotal moment in the film (to adopt Oskar’s obsessive phrase, “I know because I’ve counted!”), was incomprehensibly not recognized by the Academy. If only our 8 minutes with Thomas (like Oskar’s 8 minutes with his Dad) were stretched out a little longer…”
It is during this fast-paced 8 minute monologue that Thomas, fully embodying Oskar in a tormented outpouring to "The Renter" (played Max Von Syndow in an Oscar-nominated supporting role), recites his father's favorite adage.
Clip 1 -- Oskar to "The Renter": "How come you don't speak?"
Oskar's father is played by Tom Hanks, whose encouraging rapport with young Thomas Horn in each scene they share as father and son is "incredibly close," in tune, adoring, and precious.
Clip 2 -- Oskar to His Dad: "Was there really a 6th Borough?"
Indeed, Thomas's work in the film was further recognized this week when he won the Critic's Choice Award for Best Young Actor/Actress against other notable teenagers who have been in front of film cameras since before they could talk. His receipt of the award is well-deserved, though, because it is his performance -- most notably the expressiveness of his coin-size blue eyes and the depth of emotion he channels through them -- that drives every scene of the exceptional film.
Critic's Choice -- Best Young Actor/Actress: Thomas Horn
Another article published on the Canadian film website Tribute.ca in December 2011 likewise praises Thomas's performance as worthy of an Oscar nomination:
Tribute.ca Breakout Star: Thomas Horn
Remarkably, Thomas Horn was discovered after appearing on an episode of "Kid's Jeopardy" by producer Scott Rudin, who happened to be watching that particular evening in 2010 when it aired. Thomas, who is by all accounts, just as exceptionally intelligent and hypercurious as his character in Extremely Loud, won the game by an impressive margin over his equally capable competitors, gaining the attention of Mr. Rudin, and subsequently Mr. Daldry who called him in for a grueling 5-day audition.
Finding Thomas Horn: Jeopardy Kids Week 2010
Thomas Horn Interview 1: "It's not the typical casting procedure..."
Thomas Horn Interview 2: "Oskar's Dad is 95% of his world..."
Thomas Horn Interview 3: On Finding the True Purpose of Oskar's Key...
Thomas Horn at the Berlin Press Conference PART 1
Thomas Horn at the Berlin Press Conference PART 2
Aiding Thomas's portrayal of the grief-striken Oskar is the film's original score composed by Alexandre Desplat. My favorite track of the score is #4 called "The Very Best Plan" which plays over a poignant scene when Oskar is preparing to embark on the expedition for his father's key. I love the at once fragile and urgent piano melody that comes towards the end of that track which captures both Oskar's fear and determined resolve to "Not Stop Looking."
"The Very Best Plan" Track #4 by Alexandre Desplat
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which is nominated for a Best Picture Oscar this year, particularly touched me because Oskar's personal journey (and how Thomas expresses this journey, while portraying the boy's hypersensitive phobias) captures so many familiar aspects of losing one's father at a young age. Like Oskar, I was nearly 9 when my father died, and still hold on to many indelible memories of how "incredibly close" we were. Beyond that, it captures the universal experience of deeply grieving over and trying to make sense of losing a loved one who -- in Oskar's case -- is senselessly taken too soon and, like the phantom "6th Borough" and the collapsed and crumbled Twin Towers, can never be recovered or replaced.
What Oskar ends up finding, in the end, is in his father's words, his "own excellence (worth)," as the enduring human legacy his father left behind... (or in another words, as Tom Hanks exclaims to young Thomas, "You ROCK!")
As the original song "Everything Must Find Its Place" by Sleeperstar reinforces:
Music Video: "Everything Must Find Its Place" by Sleeperstar
Natie, you have done an excellent job of hitting several key points of the film, the music, and the uniqueness of Thomas Horn's performance. Seeing the movie twice now, I can better appreciate the director's choices for maintaining Oskar's need for logical order in his life, not only through the expeditions set forth by his father but also through his mother's careful study of his expedition plan and her determination to help him complete it safely, while recognizing that all things are not logical. His grandmother also recognize his need for logical explanation, providing him a safety net when needed at any hour of the day or night. His grandfather provides him comfort, and picks up on his father's job of "pushing" Oskar to new heights of experience and confidence.
ReplyDeleteI hope I have a chance to read the book because I loved the unifying goal of swinging on a swing--the ultimate solution of the the 6th expedition. During my first viewing of the film, I had a slight feeling that plot ends were tied too neatly together. By the second viewing, I realized that any lapses were mine--not the film's.
Joseph and I both felt that Abby Black's husband performed his role very well. Abby herself would never have invited Oskar in without having been prepared for his visit by his mother--he arrived at very emotional time, yet was not turned away--a reaction that was validated once the viewer knows of Oskar's mother's preparation of the expedition contacts. Her recognition that her husband may know about the key comes only when Oskar calls a second time to ask about the estate sale. She doesn't send or refer Oskar to her husband; she takes him there.
Once the source of the key is explained, the final scene of Oskar approaching the swing, finding the message, then tentatively mounting the swing was masterfully performed and directed. I can only wonder if the book ends in similar fashion. I guess, I'll have to read it to discover the answer.
Thank you, Sharon, for this insightful comment about your impressions of the film upon your second viewing.
ReplyDeleteI had not thought about the plot ends being tied too neatly together, but now that you have explained it, I can see how such an impression can be made. Apparently, you are not alone in experiencing this sentinment about the ending because at the International Press Conference for the film in Berlin, a German journalist expressed to director Stephen Daldry her feeling that the film ended too perfectly, and wondered why he ended the film the way he did and whether it ended the same way in the book. Since Stephen Daldry did not hear/understand the translation of the question, Thomas Horn who had been listening intently, translated it for him, and then Stephen asked Thomas to respond to the question instead. Without hesitation, Thomas articulated his view, saying:
"Well, I found the ending relevant personally -- I mean, you could say I have a biased perspective, but I think that there's still a very major issue that's left unresolved with the grandfather who has just left town and he's going back to Europe...and I think to end the movie properly, as Stephen says, the movie is about a family, so before the conflict is resolved, the family has to be brought back together. So when the grandfather comes back from Europe, it provides the resolution by bringing the family back together, and I think that's the point of the ending, in my view."
Thomas did not address the question of whether or not the book ends the same way.
You can see the whole Berlin Press Conference at the links below, if you are able to access them (just in case, I will upload them to the original post as well!). Thomas's response is in PART 1 of the Press Conference, at around minutes 11:00-12:30 on the Youtube video.
BERLIN PRESS CONFERENCE PART 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th0TU6OysQw&feature=relmfu&fb_source=message
BERLIN PRESS CONFERENCE PART 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMoaV3t38kQ&feature=relmfu&fb_source=message
Natie,
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the full conference, I was first struck by the incredible breadth of international inquiries--Indonesian, Italian, German, Swedish, Mexican, Israeli, Brazilian,and Iraqi, to name some of them. I wish that more of our artistic, academic, and governmental "conferences" or panels were open to global questioning. Perhaps we would eventually learn to be more thoughtful and caring global citizens.
As for the interview itself though, I think Thomas Horn nicely answered the question about his understanding of the need to resolve the conflict of the plot to end the movie well. Oskar's letter written to all those he interviewed in search of the owner of the key "closed out" his expedition. The choice to extend this closure technique by writing another letter to his grandfather helped "close" the strained relationship of his grandparents and opened the possibility of future relationships with Oskar, his mom, and the grandparents. The scene of the grandmother leaving a bag of groceries to be brought inside by the grandfather was beautiful--viewers feel that this time the grandfather is apt to stay longer than he ever has before.
During the conference, an Italian reporter asked the director how early in the process did he choose to minimize the grandmother/grandfather's story from the book and focus on Oskar's story in the film. Daldry responded that his decision was made early and fully supported by the author, J. Franzen. This question/response was another clue of the depth and breadth of the book into the effect of 9-11 and other major tragedies on the lives of individuals. The comparison of the effects of the bombing of Dresden in the 1940s and the effects of the 9-11 "bombing" of the Twin Towers is only slightly mentioned in the film.
I still feel though that the closing scene of the swing (that Thomas Horn did not address) provided perfect closure for Oskar in his search to find meaning from his expedition.
I am now looking forward even more to reading Franzen's book. Thanks so much for sharing the movie with me, Natie. You are a real treasure to me.