“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” (ELIC) does an “incredible” illustration of all the thoughts and feelings an individual sadly goes through after the loss of a loved one, in this case, a young boy’s parent. Directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot and The Hours) ELIC is an extraordinarily beautiful film and, unfortunately, a touching reminder of those who died in one of the most tragic events in history of the United States.

In ELIC, Oskar (Thomas Horn) finds a mysterious key in the closet of his father (Tom Hanks) who died in the 9/11 attacks of the World Trade Center. Hoping the key will help prevent him from forgetting his father, Oskar painstakingly searches New York City for a fitting lock. However, as he crawls closer to finding a piece of his father’s past, Oskar gets increasingly disconnected with his grieving mother (Sandra Bullock) who worries of her son’s safety during his urban adventures. Helping Oskar with his mission are additional characters Abby Black (Viola Davis) and “the stranger” (Max Von Sydow).

The thing I love most about ELIC is its focus toward the emotional impact 9/11 had. Oskar’s journey around New York City is far from realistic but the actors’ performances felt outstandingly real. Unexpectedly, I even enjoyed Horn’s angsty and socially challenged character. I felt that Daldry fearlessly conveyed the true feelings of what a kid would go through in such a situation.

However, I believe ELIC was utterly dependent on Horn’s performance and failed to balance the star power of other characters like Hanks and Bullock.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is an extremely real and incredibly stunning film.