The Tracks Of My Tears

Fresh out of seeing a double feature pair of Oscar nominated weepies War Horse and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close I have two words for you: Bring tissues... For your girlfriend, naturally. I mean I am a man, and wouldn't be caught dead admitting to you that any movie would possess enough power to make my eyeballs rain. Unless of course we are talking about an animated elephant being gently caressed and rocked to sleep by his incarcerated mother, or upon the moment of revelation when the oafish and annoying klutz finally admits to the straight-laced cynic that his wife passed away years ago and that he is currently homeless, or even... Christ, I guess that I really am something of a softy.

War Horse: I honestly thought this one stalled terribly out the gate. We witness the horse through its birth, frolic as a young stallion, and then it is sold at an auction to a farmer who clearly can't afford him. Then saving the farm rests on the shoulders of the animal as he is needed to plow the field... Blah Blah Blah. The first act stretches out forever. Luckily the film then hits its stride when World War I begins. The horse acquires a new owner nearly every fifteen minuets as it shuffles between children, the elderly, and soldiers both British and German, refusing to depict one side being more ruthless than the other. A truly heartfelt scene involves the horse being stuck in a barbed wire fence in the middle of no mans land and one member from both sides calling a truce in order to work together to free the magnificent beast. The closing moments come complete with a gorgeous fire red and orange lit skyline, and sure do a wonderful job of stirring up memories of classics like The Searchers and Gone With The Wind. That. Horse. Had. Moxie. Indeed. B

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: I think I was surprised as anyone when it was discovered that the academy actually bit the hook on this piece of Oscar-bait. I don't think I can recall a film with this much award winning star power, sentimentality, sadness, and a seemingly impossible quest by an overly ambitious child since Pay it Forward. Fortunately for the viewer this film isn't nearly as dreadful as that one. While it's true that events revolve around the tragic events of 9/11. I felt this film did its best to remind the viewer on the impact of loss without overdoing it too much. Chunks are quite effective. This massive quest might end on a mildly disappointing note but at least the film is honest about it, and quick to remind us which is worse: a disappointing conclusion, or nothing? Hanks is fine in his all too brief role, Thomas Horn is quite odd as the ingenious child trying to make sense of things that just can't be explained. Max Von Sydow delivers a memorable performance as a mute stranger that unsuccessfully attempts to hide a pretty obvious secret. But it is Sandra Bullock who emerges here in her final moments as the film's true unsung hero (something I never thought I would be able to admit). I fell roughly in the middle with this one as well. It is sappy and heartfelt enough for mainstream audiences to work, but I wanted more edge. Too soon? Perhaps. B-