Contender: 'Extremely Noisy and extremely Close'

Although the honours buzz for this adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's publish-9/11 urban journey continues to be very noisy, Warner Bros. is playing its cards incredibly close: Media will probably view it last but not least major challengers. Whether that's because of worry, confidence or just last-minute tinkering remains to become demonstrated, but producer Scott Rudin appears to possess put together the elements just like a master media chef.Foer's narrative -- about precocious nine-year-old Oskar's look for this is of his dad's dying on the planet Trade Center, and the grandparents' link with the firebombing of Dresden -- indicates exactly the same mixture of whimsy, magical realism, background and 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 shown skill with moppets in "Billy Elliot," all-star casts in "The Hrs" and weighty styles in "The Readers."Daldry, Roth, d.p. Chris Menges and editor Claire Simpson -- the final three formerly Oscared -- should figure strongly in year-finish balloting, as will the supporting turn of Max Von Sydow as Oskar's haunted dad. Recognition for that legendary Ingmar Bergman mainstay, nominated only one time before for "Pelle the Conqueror," might be viewed as past due inside a category that's already demonstrated helpful for realizing beloved veterans (Connery, Coburn, Ameche, Palance) instead of an honorary statuette. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com