Oslo, August 31st (2011)

Oslo, 31. august
Feature Film | Drama | Norway | Norwegian | 1h35m
Dir: Joachim Trier | Scr: Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt | Novel: Pierre Drieu La Rochelle | Ph: Jakob Ihre | Prod: Hans-Jørgen Osnes & Yngve Sæther | Mus: Torgny Amdam & Ola Fløttum | Ed: Olivier Bugge Coutté & Gisle Tveito | PD: Jørgen Stangebye Larsen | AD: Solfrid Kjetså | Snd: Gisle Tveito Cast: Anders Danielsen Lie, Hans Olav Brenner, Ingrid Olavs, Øystein Røger, Malin Crépin, Tone B. Mostraum, Kjærsti Odden Skjeldal, Johanne Kjellevik Ledang, Petter Width, Renate Reinsve, Anders Borchgrevink, Emil Lund, Andreas Braaten

A suicidal addict, a couple of weeks away from completing a drug rehabilitation course, given day release to attend a job interview, takes advantage of his temporary freedom to visit friends, family, and several old haunts around Oslo, but struggles to find meaning in his life and a reason to go on, in Trier’s contemplative adaptation of Pierre Drieu La Rochelle’s 1931 novel Le Feu Follet, which was famously brought to the screen by Louis Malle in 1963. A strong central performance, some delicately poetic imagery, and Ihre’s transporting photography combine to hauntingly potent effect.