Oslo, August 31st
34 year-old Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie) is only two weeks away from completing his drug rehabilitation programme at a facility in the Norwegian countryside.
The cold dawn of a new day has left him with a profound sense of his own worthlessness. Heading into Oslo for a job interview, he haunts the city like a ghost meeting old friends, former lovers and realising he has no sense of connection to anyone or anything.
(...) Oslo, August 31st sounds like it could be inordinately depressing but Trier achieves the difficult task of making Anders seem brutally honest rather than self-pitying. He is a man who no longer flinches from harsh self-assessment and in a way that sets him free.
(...) There are traces of humour to alleviate the gloom of Oslo, August 31st and some beautiful incidental moments as Anders and friends glide through the streets on their bikes. Trier really does fulfill the old cliché of making an autumnal Oslo feel like a character within the story and a place that viewers might want to visit.
Allan Hunter, Screen International
Duration: 96 min
Dialogue: Norwegian
Subtitles: English
Age limit: K15
