Oslo, August 31st (2011) - Joachim Trier

 Oslo, August 31st is a searing portrait of a young man's
isolation and loneliness that he suffers throughout his battle with drug addiction.   As much as I liked Joachim Trier's first film, Reprise, I found this film to be stronger in its depiction of an individual's struggle with a
mental illness.  Anders Danielsen Lie is such a tremendous actor, breathing such life into this film with his perfect portrayal of our main protagonist.   There are so many scenes in this film that capture the mindset which occurs when dealing with loneliness and depression.  It really captures the type of self-deprecating attitude which exists with depression and how this character solely blames everything on himself without looking at any of the progress he has made.  I think my favorite scene has to be when Anders sits in the restaurant alone, seeping in the conversations around him, absorbing every detail, like he is trying to form some type of connection, or rekindle his passion and desire for life.  Its definitely a film which many people would describe as "depressing", but I found myself incredibly invested in this character and Joachim Trier, along with Anders Danielsen Lie, deserve a lot of credit for making a film that can really stand side-by-side with Malle's The Fire Within.
 8.75/10

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