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OSLO, AUGUST 31STMovie Reviews
Norwegian language drama about a 34-year-old man on a day pass from drug rehab struggling with his past and hoping for a future. Cast:Anders Danielsen Lie, Malin Crépin, Aksel M. Thanke, Hans Olav Brenner, Ingrid OlavaDirector:Joachim TrierRelease Date:May 25, 2012DVD Release:September 18, 2012From:Strand ReleasingLength:1 hr 35 min
Oslo, August 31st played in key cities to exceptional reviews. • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...quietly, profoundly, one of the most observant and sympathetic films I've seen.... What a sad, true film. How knowledgeable." • And Kenneth Turan wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "...spare, measured, immaculately made..." More Reviews Below...
Oslo, August 31st Positive Reviews (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Lie gives one of the great performances of the year... Trier's compassion for what it takes to survive, mixed with the love he bestows on Oslo, is rewardingly profound."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 102 words, 05/25/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...quietly, profoundly, one of the most observant and sympathetic films I've seen.... What a sad, true film. How knowledgeable."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 803 words, 08/31/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...bristles with suspense and ambiguity.... has the satisfying gravity of specific experience, and also, true to its title, a prickly sense of place."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 05/25/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Trier's voice and vision are thrillingly unique. His ever-searching camera, which never stops moving, takes us into places we've never been..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 272 words, 05/25/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...spare, measured, immaculately made... nothing is miscalculated or out of place.... This is, of course, a classic conflict, and this unflinching film does it full justice."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 647 words, 06/01/12
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Despite its themes, this is an exhilarating film, with impeccable direction and pitch-perfect performances that make the bleakness worthwhile."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 203 words, 05/25/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: OUTSTANDING "...a knockout... The movie eats into your mind -- slowly.... it's too penetrating to shrug off.... that rare downer that leaves you wide awake, with all synapses firing."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 05/21/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...quietly, profoundly, one of the most observant and sympathetic films I've seen.... What a sad, true film. How knowledgeable."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 803 words, 08/31/12
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: OUTSTANDING "...mines emotional chaos without tipping into mawkishness... as this elegiac movie reminds us, even a shattered life matters, leaving behind an indelible, intricate imprint."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 05/23/12
Adam Nayman, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...it's arguable that Anders Danielsen Lie's true co-star is Oslo itself, which is filled with beautiful people and photographed in warm, summery tones..."(See all of Adam Nayman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 481 words, 08/10/12
Veronika Ferdman, LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...uncompromising... traces 24 hours in the life of Anders, a deeply melancholic, recovering drug addict who's given a day pass from his in-patient treatment facility."(See all of Veronika Ferdman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 178 words, 11/03/11
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "We're intimate enough with the character to feel the tension around every corner, where even a glass of sparkling wine could prove disastrous."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 08/09/12
KEY CITIES (9 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Joachim Trier exhibits a flawless sense of technical and expressive control... Danielsen Lie possesses a singularly expressive face... unforgettable..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 08/17/12
Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a masterful character study... In a feat of cinematic magic, Joachim Trier molds and sculpts the mood into a haunting, sublime work of art."(See all of Tirdad Derakhshani's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 405 words, 08/03/12
Rob Nelson, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...infinitely more than a bummer, displaying an invigoratingly acute understanding of the psychology of insecurity, longing, defensiveness and inward-turning rage."(See all of Rob Nelson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 98 words, 08/31/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a searing portrait of self-discovery and realization, with the understanding that not everything you learn about yourself will be pleasant."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 07/20/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...coolly observed yet boundlessly compassionate... breaks your heart many times over.... filled with a profound love and sadness for our daily banalities..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 652 words, 08/31/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...worthy of note and admiration is the psychological penetration of director Joachim Trier, who keeps us aware of the emotions and perceptions of all the characters..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 355 words, 06/22/12
Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Addiction is such an internal experience that it's difficult to dramatize without resorting to shock value and sordid junkie stereotypes.... 'Oslo' takes a different approach..."(See all of Jeff Shannon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 304 words, 06/08/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a careful, painful and precise meditation on human desire and confusion... Without a note of sensationalism... Trier and Lie give us an emblem for the world."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 265 words, 08/31/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...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."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 687 words, 07/27/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: OUTSTANDING "...mines emotional chaos without tipping into mawkishness... as this elegiac movie reminds us, even a shattered life matters, leaving behind an indelible, intricate imprint."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 05/23/12
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...captures moments of lyrical beauty, from a bike ride through improvised clouds to the echoes of footfalls on stone... you reflect on how life goes on, with and without us."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 155 words, 08/23/12
Veronika Ferdman, LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...uncompromising... traces 24 hours in the life of Anders, a deeply melancholic, recovering drug addict who's given a day pass from his in-patient treatment facility."(See all of Veronika Ferdman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 178 words, 11/03/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "Scales back the flash of Joachim Trier's promising debut feature 'Reprise'... deals honestly and unsentimentally with a recovering addict trying to puzzle out life..."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 234 words, 09/10/11
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "We're intimate enough with the character to feel the tension around every corner, where even a glass of sparkling wine could prove disastrous."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 08/09/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...bristles with suspense and ambiguity.... has the satisfying gravity of specific experience, and also, true to its title, a prickly sense of place."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 05/25/12
Mark Jenkins, NPR: VERY GOOD "...falls somewhere between the austere and the playful... In its depiction of a man who's considering death, the film is never less than fully alive."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 05/24/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...spare, measured, immaculately made... nothing is miscalculated or out of place.... This is, of course, a classic conflict, and this unflinching film does it full justice."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 647 words, 06/01/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: OUTSTANDING "...a long-awaited follow-up to Norwegian director Joachim Trier's 'Reprise'... Watch this, absolutely; it's beautiful and will break your heart. But please don't watch it alone."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 104 words, 03/22/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Boyd Van Hoeij, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...adds a contempo finish and pays homage to the French New Wave, adapting the suicide-themed novel that also inspired Louis Malle's 'The Fire Within.' "(See all of Boyd Van Hoeij's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 730 words, 05/18/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...spare, measured, immaculately made... nothing is miscalculated or out of place.... This is, of course, a classic conflict, and this unflinching film does it full justice."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 647 words, 06/01/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...bristles with suspense and ambiguity.... has the satisfying gravity of specific experience, and also, true to its title, a prickly sense of place."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 05/25/12
11.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Oslo, August 31st's reviews are separated by an average 11.3 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Oslo, August 31st (28 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Oslo, August 31st's reviews cover 34.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 12,292 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 439 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 4 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Oslo, August 31st's reviews on average broke 4 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Oslo, August 31st's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Oslo, August 31st (28 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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