When you have talent such as Tom Hanks, Max von Sydow and Jeffrey Wright in your canon, you know you're going to pack quite a punch. This movie may well leave an indelible mark on me. And yes, my eyes did "water". Ever since crying over Turner and Hooch as a little boy (my debut foray), I've had a tendency to let my emotions become too entangled with a story and thus need to find extravagant ways of hiding it during a film.

Why is this film so moving?

Well, you have the obvious background of 9/11 and the senseless murder of innocent everyday people whose lives were taken from families not ready to part with their treasured loved ones. That tragedy doesn't take centre stage but instead acts as a seminal - easily referenced - event in which we view the world of Oskar. Oskar is not ready to tackle the world by himself. We never discover his condition for sure (although it's fairly obvious) but we know he's bright beyond his years and more than a little eccentric. His father is the only man that he can speak to and sends him on missions to discover things, all with the intention of hoping the young lad can discover his courage to reach for his potential. When his father is ripped away from him, Oskar cannot cope and cannot connect with his mother. He also cannot accept the death of his father and yearns for more time to spend with him. He acquires this via a key that leads him on a final mission to discover what this will open to him.

This films brings all the threads together by the end, but it almost lost me at one point. After a promising opening, it loses its footing as we meander along to Oskar's discovery of the key that sets him on a mission involving 'his last 8 minutes with his father'. EL&IC regains its footing when Max von Sydow enters the story. As a seemingly reclusive weirdo, we see his character elevate the story and add significant texture. It's a phenomenally impressive performance. The device of him not being able to speak doesn't feel inorganic at all. A large part of that is down to von Sydow's masterful command of the art. His eyes hint at a pain beyond our understanding, and that quivering lip when he hears the voice recording just got me. It was a moment worthy of the Supporting Actor award I'd love to see him win. What a lesson in acting to those wanting to learn.

The third act pays off in ways that had previously seemed impossible. This is a story about dealing with grief and facing your fears. There are events that are out of our control and we must cherish the possibilities that love, family and discovery give us. It's what my mum would call a "nice film". Because even with all the sadness present, its message is powerfully positive.

It looked like a good film in the trailer, and it certainly sounds like it. good review, will check it out soon as possible. I love von Sydow, a little surprised he's still kicking. Cool.

I was pretty hooked by the opener.
But man, did this devolve into soup during act two.
I couldn't cut through all the manipulative schmaltz and enjoy myself.

I've never walked away from an Best Picture nominated film before.
But, I couldn't hang on to the third act, I was totally disengaged.

E.D.