Oslo, August 31st (Norwegian; 2001)
Directed by Joachim Trier
Day to day living is complicated enough as we straddle through it aimlessly, wondering, "What is my mission ?". A certain semblance of certainty is pushed on upon us when we are told to follow the dotted lines left by those who traversed the road before us. There is a particular time to do this and that. Do what is expected of you at a specific time but do not jump the gun, they say.
Like a fleet of migrating birds, the current of the path is paved by the synchronicity of the flutter of the leader of the flock. Get into the stream and go with the flow. A recalcitrant starling who misses the spring schedule cannot possibly dream of finding greener pastures all by himself.
This must surely be a cruel way of Nature to punish those not in line. One small falter, and the individual gets decimated. There must surely be an alternative for outliers on either extreme of the Gaussian curve. But, Nature has been known to be extremely cruel. It does not give a damn.
Growing up into adulthood and fitting into adult roles are incredibly enduring endeavours. Everyone is assessed with a single yardstick and fitted into pre-designed cages. Latecomers will soon realise that they had missed the bus. If missing the bus was not bad enough, they were left with no transportation. Sometimes the latecomers feel so helpless that they wish that they would rather be under the bus. Life seems so hopeless.
This critically acclaimed movie is loosely based on a 1931 French novel by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, 'Will O' the Wisp'. It tells the tale of a recently institutionalised
drug addict, Anders, trying to fit back into society. After losing five years of his formative years in rehab, he sees that the world has passed him by. His friends have found their footing in life. His former girlfriends have no time for him. His guy friends are talking about family life and children. Nevertheless, they do not seem too happy about it either. Even when Anders tries to get a job, his drug-filled past haunts him.
Anders tries very hard to fit in and start it all over again, but it is just so tricky. He yearns to end it all or maybe spiral back into the rabbit hole of cocaine ... It is tough.
This 2006 film is part of the Oslo trilogy by director Joachim Trier. It primarily deals with two childhood friends who develop a passion for writing. They take a shot at writing and both handle their paths differently. With them are their three other friends who play an important role in their life.
