A stylistic departure from his breakout, international debut Reprise, Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31st is a mature, sophomore effort that is knee deep in the search for the meaning and purpose of life in contemporary Norway. With a stunningly well-calibrated and nuanced performance from his muse Anders Danielsen Lie, viewers are treated to a dawn till sundown journey of a just released former drug addict who during the last day of summer makes unsuccessful, small attempts at regaining his footing among friends and navigating the social norms that society has built for their own protection. Is this protagonist truly doomed? Or is the structure around him prolonging its own inevitable destruction?
Currently working on several scripts including a U.S-based, English-language family drama with spurts of comedy entitled Louder than Bombs, it has been almost one year to the date since I sat down with the filmmaker — the film was introduced in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, and since then, enjoyed a long film festival life including 2011’s Toronto Int. Film Festival and 2012’s Sundance Film Festival. Strand Releasing puts this gem in theaters May 25th.
