Luke Ryan Baldock gives us the rundown on this dramatic delight from Joaquim Trier. Read his full Louder Than Bombs review below.
Norwegian director Joachim Trier has given us a powerful duo of films in Reprise and Oslo, August 31st, but now eyes turn to his English language debut, Louder Than Bombs. Like many Scandinavian directors, there’s a respectable quiet sense of restraint while dealing with larger dramatic, and potentially explosive, themes and plot points. It’s very much about what isn’t said as opposed to what is, but the cast handle their respective roles with style.
It’s been a few years since Gene’s (Gabriel Byrne) wife Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert – who received superb reception at this year’s Berlin Film Festival with the superb Things To Come) supposedly died in a car accident. As a respected war photographer, Isabelle’s work is about to be presented in an exhibition, accompanied by a newspaper article from her old colleague Richard (David Strathairn). The article reveals the truth that Isabelle actually committed suicide, a fact Gene has neglected to tell his younger and most emotionally distant son Conrad (Devin Druid). Preparing for the articles publication, Gene works on his relationship with the help of Conrad’s older brother Jonah (Jesse Eisenberg).
At its heart, Louder Than Bombs is a complex family drama of the repressed variety. Revelations are made but reactions are subdued, with each emotional beat meticulously presented by the talented cast. Druid is particularly fascinating to watch, as he delicately balances his performance. There’s a certain unease to his portrayal, as we worry he could slip into a sort of reclusive violence. However, he also keeps Conrad very sweet and relatable. Byrne and Eisenberg also bring their A game, in what is a refreshing male centred drama in which the men deal with their emotions with only fleeting female input from flashbacks of Huppert and Amy Ryan as Conrad’s teacher and Gene’s lover.
The type of repressed emotional wrestling explores the family dynamic from a male perspective, such as Gene joining Conrad’s online role-playing game in the hope of connecting, only to be killed every time he finds him. It’s a delicate and appreciated moment of comedy and also speaks loudly concerning the generation gap and how young people communicate (or fail to do so) today. With Gene’s past as an actor, brilliantly detailed in some clips of Byrne’s older work, and Isabelle’s photographs, it’s a family that has lived lives through other ways, making it all the more pleasurable seeing them reunited.
The script is wonderfully paced, and brings about satisfactory resolutions to all conflicts it engages with. Perhaps too quiet in places, the subtlety is still very much appreciated and gorgeously executed. Trier continues his very impressive streak with a film that may not make huge waves, but like the themes within Louder Than Bombs, will certainly reverberate for much longer than some of its contemporaries. A dramatic delight that tones down the drama to a digestible and acceptable volume.
Courtesy : The Hollywood News
