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How could Oscar resist "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close?" It's a tear-jerker centering around the September 11th attacks with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock featured. And it's central character is even named Oskar.
That's oversimplifying it, of course, and it's not a bad movie - just an extremely obvious and incredibly manipulative one.
But I'll admit - it got to me.
The focus is on young Oskar played by a shaky Thomas Horn, who lost his father played by Hanks in the 9-11 attacks. But dad loved adventures, and young Oskar finds a clue that leads him to believe he was left a message.
He gets some help from a mute man played by Max Von Sydow, rightly nominated for his work here.
The emotional payoff here has less to do with 9/11 than the connection between the characters. Oskar's relationship with his mother feels particularly authentic, as the film explores the real and raw emotions of grief.
There's good stuff here, but milking 9/11 for dramatic gain is nothing new.
It makes much more sense to nominate "The Artist," which makes the old new again. This is an almost entirely silent film, telling the story of an actor working in the silent film era.
And it's a delight.
Jean Dujardin is excellent in a wordless performance as George Valentin, an actor at the top of his game just before the advent of the talkies. A young starlet he helped discover, played by a wonderful Berenice Bejo becomes the new it girl.
The film follows Valentin's sink from fame into the depths of alcoholism and depression. It does drag a bit unfolding such an obvious premise and it never really drives an emotional stake. But it's certainly a charmer.
French writer and director Michel Hazanavicius captures the spirit of the silent film era perfectly, and the score fills in for the missing words and sound nicely.
"The Artist" is a well made tribute to a bygone era of film, and in many ways, it dares modern audiences to try something new. That's always to be celebrated.
"Extremely Loud" * * 1/2
"The Artist" * * * *
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