Oslo, August 31st

"I remember Oslo, as such. It's people, I don't remember". What is a city, if not a recollection of memories? What is it you remember about the place you moved into, years ago?

The movie opens with a montage of people narrating what they remember about Oslo, overlapped with visuals of town. This creates a beautiful, dream-like effect as we are eased into the movie. We are taken through 24 Hrs in the life of a recovering addict. Things just begin, with no introduction to the characters or their backgrounds. Which is a good thing, as we should not become judgmental, isn't it?

A chance at redemption brings Anders to Oslo, and it is familiar territory for him. Is it melancholy, or is it nostalgia? He has to make the choice. They say it is good to visit places from your past which have not changed. That way you realise how you have changed. So true, is it not?

There are a few gems of sequences which absolutely enchanted me. One is a conversation between Anders and his friend Thomas. It seems like a boring conversation, but it is filled with philosophy. Thomas flits through the minutiae of family life with him mocking himself, and Anders gives us a glimpse of the anarchy in his mind. All this culminates with a delicate goodbye between the old friends, shot in the most beautiful way. Is this the point when things go spiraling downwards?

Old friends

We are almost inside the mind of the protagonist. Long shots, out of focus scenes gradually focusing on Anders, scenes cut into each other. The mind puts itself into other peoples lives, built of their conversations. We become an observer, on the fringes of society, wondering what it must be like, to be 'mainstream' again? For some reason, this song plays in my head and seems quite apt, too. The camera becomes the protagonists mind. The isolation is constructed beautifully, with some stunning locations as backdrop.

Tune in, tune out

The family angle is mentioned fleetingly but is not explored deeply. The ghosts of old girlfriends raise their heads a few times. All we know is that, there are scars and there are wounds. At the end, Anders finds his peace, in his own way. The movie 'completes itself'. If you watch it, you'll see what I imply. That is some form of closure, cinematically.

I've got to say, this is one of the most finely-cut movies in the cinematography(Jakob Ihre) and editing sections (Olivier Bugge Cout). Hats off!

Live in the moment

Anders Danielsen Lie has lived his character to the dot. He delivers a stunning performance, as his silence and torment speaks more than his words. The pain flows from his eyes. A really fine piece of acting. Hans Olav Brenner delivers a solid performance as Thomas. This is an off beat movie, where the subject of addiction has not been treated like a taboo, but an honest attempt has been made to show things in the most unbiased way.

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*