đłđŽ OSLO, AUGUST 31st đłđŽ
Oslo, August 31st (2011) is a Norwegian drama feature film. Available on Prime Video U.K. to rent/buy ÂŁ2.49/ÂŁ6.99; AppleTV, Prime Video USA rent/buy; AppleTV Can rent/buy. 1 hour 35 min. Cert 15 U.K. Norwegian with English subtitles.
Premise:
âOne day in the life of Anders, a young recovering drug addict, who takes a brief leave from his treatment centre to interview for a job and catch up with old friends in Oslo.â
Cast:
Anders Danielsen Lie as Anders
Hans Olan Brenner as Thomas
Ingrid Olava as Rebekka
Malin Crépin as Malin
Aksel Thanke as Therapist
Ăystein RĂžger as David
Tone Beate Mostraum as Tove
KjĂŠrsti Odden Skjeldal as Mirjam
Petter Width Kristiansen as Petter
Johanne Kjellevik Ledang as Johanne
Crew:
Director: Joachim Trier
Writers: Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt
Composer: Torgny Amdam, Ola FlĂžttum
Cinematographer: Jakob Ihre
Editor: Olivier Bugge Coutté
Production Designer: JĂžrgen Stangebye Larsen
Art Director: Solfrid KjetsÄ
Costume Designer: Ellen DĂŠhli Ystehede
Sound Designer: Gisle Tveito
Notes:
This film is the second in a trilogy sitting between Reprise (2006) and The Worst Person in the World (2021).
The story is based on the novel âLe feu folletâ by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle.
Reprise was co-written by Trier and Eskil Vogt. In fact, he works with a team and has done since the beginning. As he said [to Metal Magazine in 2015] when asked to offer advice for wannabe directors âNever make movies alone! Thatâs key for me, the collaboration. I always wanted to be in a band, but now I have my band when I make movies. I have my cinematographer, editor, co-writer, we are in a group working together. I need them. I canât do anything alone. You can do that either in Film School or out of Film School, but train with the group.â
His âTeamâ are co-writer Eskil Vogt, cinematographer Jakob Ihre, editor Olivier Bugge CouttĂ© and actor Anders Danielsen Lie.
Review:
I watched Reprise not that long ago and since The Worst Person in the World should soon be available I thought this the ideal opportunity to visit Oslo, August 31st. I have now watched this film twice in fairly quick succession and this is something I can recommend; I got even more out of it the second time.
This movie opens with a set of still and moving images of Oslo in the â80s and recorded clips from interviews with people of their memories of Oslo. One recalls arriving and being struck by how tall the trees were compared to the north, another remembers her bed would not fit in her new flat, another talks of going to parties that they were not sure were on or that they were even invited to. The film is bookended by another segment of the start of the day in Oslo with trams in the streets and still locations which have figured throughout the film leaving no trace of the day before.
This short segment of the film leads us into Anders, our protagonist, waking up next to a young woman in bed, getting up and opening the curtains to the dawn of a new day⊠What happens next is very disturbing and is an underlying drive for the rest of the movie.
I really enjoy a film that engages the audience with a tight narrative storyline and Oslo, 31st August does just this. It takes a day in the life of a recovering addict (drugs, alcohol, heroin⊠pretty much anything) Anders from the dawn of August 30th to the early morning of August, 31st.
This, as with Reprise, is a character-driven film. Anders takes us is in an intimate, highly realistic journey through a day in his life. We accompany him to group therapy, to visit an old friend and his family, a job interview, parties, meeting a young woman, an open-air swimming pool, a meeting with his sisterâs partner, into his parents’ house etc.
All pervasive through this is Andersâ mental state, his âself-sabotage buttonâ, his apathy, his occasional humour, his deep sadness⊠and his potential, a potential he does not admit to. This is one very deeply disturbed man who, in his early 30s could still do something with his life, but does not do so. He believes himself to be unloved, is seemingly incapable of loving himself – or at least that is what he says to himself and others – basically a waste of space and air.
Memory and how memories affect our here and now is a theme that ran deeply through Reprise and it does so too in Oslo, August 31st. Partway through, in the same way as the start we have Anders relating his memories of his father and mother parents, their views and attitudes which often strike as contradictory and yet, this couple still love each other.
Anders tries to recapture a past affair, calling his ex several times on and off through the film. He sees himself often as a victim and receives some very unpleasant home truths. The meeting with his old friend shows how one is happy with being a bit not happy whereas Anders cannot break free from the thrall of depression, addiction and the feeling that he is unwanted, unnecessary and life is utterly pointless. No one will miss him and they are all better off without him.
He views life often as a spectator with it passing him by while he is so wrapped up with his internal feelings or lack of them. There is a scene in a cafe where he is listening into many separate conversations which epitomes this. He also hears a young woman read a list of what she hopes to do with and in her life, and while some of the things she lists are perhaps unachievable, at least she has ambitions. Anders has precisely none, unless you count getting back with a woman who left him because she could not cope with his addiction and behaviour any longer; to stay with him would be the end of her.
It would be tempting to make the protagonist of a film such as this likeable and although Anders has some redeeming features he is a difficult person to like. This film is brilliant at building up our anxiety for him though. He does some pretty awful things at times but one at least (stealing money) is typical addict behaviour.
The journey we take with him does however have some fantastic and beautiful moments. Ironically we see them as beautiful but then we should ask ourselves, does Anders?
Three scenes in particular stick in my mind. Firstly, one at the open-air swimming pool. Secondly, where Anders and a young woman ride a bike with another couple on another bike in front and the only thing you hear and focus on is the occasional âpuffâ of the fire extinguisher the man in front is triggering. Finally, a scene very near the end of the film where Anders is playing the piano, beautifully, back in his parentsâ house⊠such beauty and potential and sadness⊠as soon as he makes an error he stops.
When his friend earlier in the film says he does not want Anders to contemplate suicide and how will he and his parents feel if he does, Andersâ simple reply is that they will assume it is an overdose, it is what happens with addicts.
Strong and tight narrative, beautiful, realistic images and great use of sound and music along with fantastic acting mark out Oslo, 31st August as something special. The cinematography is stunning but not full of fancy âtricksâ and makes it all feel very real and authentic. The editing is superb. The sound design is also excellent and one thing I would advise is to NOT turn the sound down if, for instance, music comes on very loudly, itâs that loud for a reason.
Oslo, August 31st takes a day on the life of Anders and makes it on to something very special. This film is not a bundle of laughs and the themes it delves into of love, loss, addiction (drug use and abuse are shown) and suicide (this is a trigger warning folks) are not easy or soothing.
I can highly recommend watching this film but I would strongly recommend that you watch Reprise first as that is where we first meet Anders.
Awards:
19 Wins & 20 Nominations
Wins include:
Amanda Awards (2012) Best Direction ~ Joachim Trier; Best Editing ~ Olivier Bugge Coutté
Festival del Cinema Europea (2012) Best European Film
International Cinephile Awards (2013) Best Adapted Screenplay
Istanbul International Film Festival (2012) International Competition ~ Joachim Trier
Kosmorama, Trondheim International Film Festival (2012) Best Male Actor in a Leading Role ~ Anders Danielsen Lie; Best Supporting Actor ~ Hans Olav Brenner; Best Sound Design ~ Gisle Tveito; Best Editing ~ Olivier Bugge Coutté; Best Cinematography ~ Jakob Ihre; Best Original Screenplay ~ Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Lisbon and Estoril Film Festival (2011) Special Mention ~ Joachim Truer
Ole Awards (2012) Best Foreign Film ~ Joachim Trier
Stockholm Film Festival (2011) Bronze Horse ~ Best Film, Best Cinematography
Transilvania International Film Festival (2012) Best Film
Trailer:
Link to a review of Reprise:
Reprise (2006) ~ A Non-Spoiler Review
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