Oslo, 31. august 2011

A.O. Scott, New York Times: "Oslo, August 31st" has the satisfying gravity of specific experience, and also, true to its title, a prickly sense of place. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: [It] crosses the blood-brain barrier like ... like ... whatever the drug is, I haven't tried it, thank God. Read more

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: With his angular features and intense gaze, Lie is utterly convincing as an intellectual in the process of repairing his damaged life. Read more

AV Club: Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: Trier writes his hero into a very tight corner, but finds a simultaneously graceful and uncompromising way out of it. Neat trick, that. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Te movie seems more like a searing portrait of self-discovery and realization, with the understanding that not everything you learn about yourself will be pleasant. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: A coolly observed yet boundlessly compassionate day in the life of a recovering drug addict, "Oslo, August 31st" breaks your heart many times over. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: The movie transpires mostly in quiet, engrossing dialogue scenes, and its austere style shares a good deal in common with the protagonist, who seems both opaque and completely exposed. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Trier's compassion for what it takes to survive, mixed with the love he bestows on Oslo, is rewardingly profound. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: "Oslo" is an example of strong, confident filmmaking in which nothing is miscalculated or out of place. Read more

Veronika Ferdman, L.A. Weekly: With a predilection for long takes, alternating between tripod setups and handheld camera work that's reflective of Anders' unease, Trier presents life as an unceasingly tepid stream of the mundane -- with an occasional, exquisite pinprick of hope. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: A study of a man who pulled away from the edge of the abyss at the nick of time, only to realize he may not be able to forgive himself for the things he's done. Read more

David Thomson, The New Republic: The beauty is in the array of animated faces in Anders' life. And it's in the simple promise and vitality of Anders' face, which serves the film without any regard for being in a film, let alone a tragedy or a poetic vision of darkness and futility. Read more

Mark Jenkins, NPR: In its depiction of a man who's considering death, the film is never less than fully alive. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: With only two films, Danish director Joachim Trier has soundly established himself as a singular talent. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: Despite its themes, "Oslo, August 31st" is an exhilarating film, with impeccable direction and pitch-perfect performances that make the bleakness worthwhile. Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: Pared down and sparse, almost Bressonian in its formal rigor... Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: "Oslo, August 31st" is quietly, profoundly, one of the most observant and sympathetic films I've seen. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: It's a marvelously constructed personal journey, both wrenching and bittersweet, whose emotional ripple effects stay with you for days and weeks afterward. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Trier ... keeps us aware of the emotions and perceptions of all the characters, even at those times when their perceptions are limited and differ from objective reality. Read more

Rob Nelson, Minneapolis Star Tribune: [Displays] an invigoratingly acute understanding of the psychology of insecurity, longing, defensiveness and inward-turning rage. Read more

Adam Nayman, Globe and Mail: It has absolute clarity about a character who isn't at all sure about what he wants - or whether he wants to keep going at all. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: The result is a superb exploration of loss, guilt and regret in Norwegian director Joachim Trier's often-unpredictable second film. Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: Trier has adapted a 1930s French novel, which in 1963 Louis Malle filmed as 'Le Feu Follet', but this feels totally fresh and modern in its concerns. It's also devastating. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Moment to moment, you sense the fragility of Anders's fate as it hangs in the balance. Read more

Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic: [Screenwriters] Trier and Vogt are neat and cunning. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: As this elegiac movie reminds us, even a shattered life matters, leaving behind an indelible, intricate imprint. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: Trier proves that he's no one-hit wonder. Read more