Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close tugs at the heart strings in the way that any film about a possibly autistic boy losing his father in 9/11 would. However the overall story of Oskar’s quest for the lock that matches a key found in his dead fathers closet, drags slightly and seems kind of pointless by the time it reaches its conclusion.

The most impressive parts of the film are the flashbacks to what Oskar calls ‘The Worst Day’. They are truly heart wrenching and both Thomas Horn (Oskar) and Sandra Bullock (his mother) portray the panic and desperation in New York on 9/11 incredibly believably. The strained relationship between Oskar and his mother since his father’s death also adds a fantastic dynamic, and one particularly moving scene will have you close to tears.

However, this emotion gets lost in, and completely swamped by Oskar’s journey around New York to discover the ‘Black’ who might hold the lock to his father’s mysterious key. Yes, this provides some light comic relief at times, and yes, it’s quite nice to see this young boy with not quite perfect social skills discover the beauty of talking to strangers and learning their life stories. But, it does get a bit samey. And the inclusion of so many ‘Blacks’ makes it hard to care about the one story that finally resolves the mystery of the key.

The acting and directing are superb and Stephen Daldry does a fantastic job at allowing the audience a glimpse into Oskar’s troubled mind.

Some people will love this film for it’s heart, some people will hate it for its lack of action. But if you’re after an emotional insight into the damage of 9/11, then Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close isn’t a bad place to start.