Stephen Daldry’s film adaption of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was both renowned and reviled upon its theatrical release last December.  The 2005 novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer also met with mixed reception upon its reception.  Britain’s Spectator magazine stated that “the book is a heartbreaker: tragic, funny, intensely moving.”  But Michiko Kakutani of the NY Times was critical of Safran Foer’s book, describing the story as “cloying” and the main character as “unsympathetic.”

Of course, critics are only one limited reference for understanding a film’s (or book’s) merits.  Ultimately, we all need to decide for ourselves.  But why would there be such divisive opinions on the book and Stephen Daldry’s film adaption?

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