Contender: 'Extremely Noisy and very Close'

Even though honours buzz with this adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's publish-9/11 urban journey remains very noisy, Warner Bros. is playing its cards incredibly close: Media will most likely notice finally major competitors. Whether that's due to worry, confidence or simply last-minute tinkering remains being shown, but producer Scott Rudin seems to own come up with the sun and rain as being a master media chef.Foer's narrative -- about precocious nine-year-old Oskar's search for this really is of his dad's dying on earth Trade Center, and also the grandparents' link to the firebombing of Dresden -- signifies the identical combination of whimsy, magical realism, background moral uplift permeating scribe Eric Roth's Oscar-winning "Forrest Gump" and -nominated "Benjamin Button." Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock provide B.O. insurance, and helmer Stephen Daldry has nicely proven skill with moppets in "Billy Elliot," all-star casts in "The Several hours" and weighty styles in "The Visitors."Daldry, Roth, d.p. Chris Menges and editor Claire Simpson -- the ultimate three formerly Oscared -- should figure strongly in year-finish balloting, as will the supporting turn of Max Von Sydow as Oskar's haunted father. Recognition for your legendary Ingmar Bergman mainstay, nominated just once before for "Pelle the Conqueror," may be seen as overdue in the category that's already shown useful for recognizing beloved veterans (Connery, Coburn, Ameche, Palance) rather than an honorary statuette. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com