Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  A young boy (Thomas Horn) struggles to get over the senseless death of his father in 9/11.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Zoe Caldwell

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  Every step of this movie is totally contrived.  Does some of it work?  Sure.  But the set-ups and pay-offs are so in your face that you may be too annoyed to enjoy any of it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: They say that comedy equals tragedy plus time, so is 9/11 funny yet?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  It will try to make you cry by any means possible, throwing crap at the wall until something sticks.  It's as if the writer were sitting on your shoulder like a little devil saying, "Oh, death didn't get you?  Try alienation...  Oh, that didn't work either?  But remember 9/11, that was awful, right?...  Still nothing?  But he's a little boy, and he's hurting, and he misses his daddy!...  What are you some cold heartless monster?"  To which I reply, "I wasn't until I met you, so I guess you bring that out in me... we should probably break up now."

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Boy am I getting sick of all these wanna-be Oscar movies that are trying so hard to be important that they neglect the basics, like being entertaining and seeming effortless.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Don't be fooled, neither Tom Hanks nor Sandra Bullock is in the movie for more than 10 minutes, so I hope you like kid actors who aren't particularly cute or charming!

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  The imagery is consistently well thought out, and many of the shots demonstrate a strong voice.  Also, the art is impressive, but I don't believe for one second that a 10 year old could have made any of it.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  The friend I saw it with really liked the strong sense of community that the movie suggests exists-- even though we both agree that it's a lie, because the people in your neighborhood don't really hang out with Mr. Rogers, which is why they're not all that friendly or generous with their time.  But the fundamental issue with the script is that when you try this hard to matter and be about  heart-string issues that I'm supposed to naturally be moved by, I feel manipulated.  And when I feel manipulated, I start to discredit you, even in the areas where you succeeded.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Trailer

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Due Date

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: On the way to his baby's birth, an angry man (Robert Downey Jr.) has the misfortune of crossing paths with a blissfully unaware idiot (Zach Galifianakis), and before they know it, their paths to Los Angeles become inexorably linked.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis, Danny McBride, RZA, Matt Walsh, Todd Phillips, and Sunny the Dog in the part of Sonny the Dog.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. While there are enough laughs and emotion to satisfy most comedy fans, the story's forward motion relies on your suspension of disbelief, not once but about 10 times. And sometimes, when you have to suspend disbelief that much, it can snap you right out of the movie.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Enough. But not at the line from the trailer, "Chiggety-check yourself before you wreck yourself," because that stopped being either funny or original circa 1994, when you, I, and everyone we know used it so much that we wore out its welcome.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're afraid of heights, there's a long scene that will probably make you a little queasy.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: To me this is the Best Zombie Movie of the year, because there are several incidents where the characters could only have come out alive if they were living dead.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: This a-hole character is not flattering to RDJ, and I found myself actively missing Tony Stark. Zach Galifianakis though, actually has a few surprisingly powerful dramatic moments. Based on this performance, I would consider casting him in a serious dramatic role. I'm not joking.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Todd Phillips gave himself a role in this movie, and nailed the tone of the character perfectly. Which is especially impressive when you consider that he didn't really nail the tone of the movie itself. The tone of the movie is trying to be broad-- which would've forgiven the frequent suspension of disbelief moments-- but aside from a few of the jokes, it's not.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The hardest thing about writing a movie in the vein of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, is figuring out how you're going to justify keeping the two characters together, despite the fact that they're not getting along. Some writers come up with solid justifications. These writers did that a few times, and then just got bored with logic... Then again, who needs logic when you can fall back on suspension of disbelief.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: The Soundtrack. I turned to the person next to me at least three times to mention how much I liked a song that was playing. I know what you're thinking, "Shame on you, Monique, for talking during a movie!" And I agree with you. I'm ashamed.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/due-date/38944/trailers

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