Oslo, August 31st

Director Joachim Trier's nonjudgmental portrait of a recovering drug addict does its level best to show the thin line that often separates even the most diligent recovering addict from the life of a full-blown junkie. Soft-spoken protagonist Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie) is presented with just the right amount of pathos and vulnerability—a 34-year-old ambiguously literary type who fell off the map of straight Oslo society for a few years, peddling dope as well as being a dopehead himself. Now, Anders is beginning to take major steps on his first day back in the mainstream after being in the land of the lost. But after reuniting with a successful professor friend from his wild days, Anders's resolve to keep on the straight and narrow begins to crack, and during a brilliantly subtle job-interview scene, a simple question about a gap in his résumé triggers all of his old demons. A harrowing tale that transpires over a single day, this powerful drama is highly recommended. (M. Sandlin)