Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) is an extremely poignant but incredibly hard-to-watch object lesson on trying to find meaning from tragedy. The payoff is minimal given the emotional effort the viewer has to put forth, making it seem too much like work and not enough like entertainment. I don’t go into every movie expecting to be served ice cream, but I also didn’t deserve this monster helping of broccoli. I would recommend it for someone who feels guilty that they did not suffer enough from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This movie is heavy, but my conscience is not.