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The landscape for independent films has changed rapidly. On one hand, the opportunity to build a theatrical release has become increasingly difficult, but on the other hand, digital release has given indies a chance to play to a broad national audience at once. Each week, new indie releases will be profiled and because they might not be playing at a theater near you, one highly recommended film available now a click or two away via VOD (whether a new or not quite new release) will be presented for viewing without leaving your computer.

VOD Pick of the Week

Oslo, August 31st
Oslo, August 31st is a beautiful, quiet, observant film about a day in the life of a man struggling to overcome drug addiction in Oslo, Norway. The film begins with 34-year-old Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie) in a rehab facility. He is being allowed to go into the city for a job interview at a magazine as part of his rehabilitation program, but when asked to account for the gap in his resume, the lost years created by his drug addiction, he truthfully explains his drug use and walks out of the interview. He spends the rest of the day roaming the city and meeting with old friends and acquaintances.

There is an extended conversation with Thomas, whom he meets for coffee. Thomas was a friend from Anders’ partying days, and they reminisce about their old life. However, Thomas was able to avoid the spiraling out of control and bottoming out and eventually settled down with a wife and child and career in academics. The conversation is both the familiar chatter between old friends recounting old times, but it contains an air of unease. Anders has been clean for a while, but certainly does not feel recovered, his addiction mixed with depression, and there is a bit of tension and perhaps resentment as Thomas has avoided Anders’ fate.

As Anders wanders the city, he is reminiscent of a ghost – he just doesn’t seem to fit in this world. One scene in particular involves Anders at a café sitting alone. He catches bits and pieces of the conversations of those around him illustrating how the world just keeps moving on without him being able to find his place in it. Hanging over everything is the specter of a former girlfriend and regret.

Continuing the ghost theme, the word that seems to best describe Oslo, August 31st is haunting. It is not a happy film, but it is a very sensitive portrayal of an addict devoid of the histrionics that often plague films about the subject. Anders Danielsen Lie, a nonprofessional actor, has a presence and demeanor that allows him to express Anders’ inner anguish without needing dialogue. While much of the film falls on the actor’s shoulders, skillful use of cinematography, sound design, and the city of Oslo itself help expand the story and themes into a more universal realm.

Oslo, August 31 is Joachim Trier’s second feature film after Reprise, which is also worth checking out. Where Reprise could be described as postmodern, using narrative and chronological shifts, Oslo, August 31st is more naturalistic and austere in its approach. This fits the story, as the film eases you into Anders’ day in a life and keeps a hold on you throughout until its gripping conclusion.
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Available at Netflix Streaming

New releases for August 23rd

Drinking Buddies: Joe Swanberg’s romantic comedy centered in a Chicago microbrewery and starring Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, and Ron Livingston was the VOD Pick of the Week on August 1st. It receives its theatrical release this week. Swanberg is also featured as an actor in the wide release horror film You’re Next, opening this week as well.
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The Grandmaster: Legendary Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wai’s latest film is inspired by the life and times of kung fu master, Ip Man, who taught Bruce Lee and is credited for popularizing the Wing Chun style of kung fu. In addition to serving as a biopic, the film also has the air of historical epic as it examines the tumultuous Republican era that followed the fall of the last Chinese dynasty.

Short Term 12: The Grand Jury Award winner from the 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival, Short Term 12 was expanded from an award winning short film. The film stars Brie Larson as Grace, a supervisor at a group home for at risk teens. Grace is so focused on the lives of the residents that she neglects her own until she begins a relationship with a coworker Mason, who wants her to open up to him the way she encourages the kids to open up to her.

Scenic Route: Two friends who have drifted apart, Mitchell (Josh Duhamel) and Carter (Dan Fogler), find themselves stranded on a deserted highway when their pickup truck breaks down during a road trip. Carter considers Mitchell a sellout who has settled for a safe life of marriage and a job in the financial industry, while Mitchell considers Carter, a homeless and unemployed writer, a failure. As their situation becomes more and more dire, the verbal confrontation becomes physical and the uncomfortable situation becomes a life and death struggle.
Available at Amazon.com
Available at iTunes
Available at Vudu