Louder Than Bombs (2015) User Reviews

Let's don't talk about it

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 28 April 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. Sometimes we just can't "get over it". Three years after a war photographer dies in a suspicious car accident, her husband and two sons find themselves in various states of emotional distress. Everyone deals with guilt in their own way, but these three seem to be doing anything and everything to avoid actually dealing with the emotional fallout.

Writer/director Joachim Trier (Oslo, August 31) delivers his first English-speaking film with an assist from co-writer Eskil Vogt and a terrific cast. As we would expect from Mr. Trier, it's a visually stylish film with some stunning images … and the timeline is anything but simple as we bounce from past to present, and from the perspective of different characters (sometimes with the same scene).

The creativity involved with the story telling and technical aspects have no impact whatsoever on the pacing. To say that the film is meticulously paced would be a kind way of saying many viewers may actually get restless/bored with how slowly things move at times. Trier uses this pacing to help us experience some of the frustration and discomfort that each of the characters feel.

Isabelle Huppert plays the mother/wife in some wonderful flashback and dream-like sequences, while Gabriel Byrne plays her surviving husband. Jesse Eisenberg as Jonah, and Devin Druid as Conrad are the sons, and as brothers they struggle to connect with each other … just as the father struggles to connect with each of them. In fact, it's a film filled with characters who lie to each other, lie to themselves, and lie to others. It's no mystery why they are each miserable in their own way. The suppressed emotions are at times overwhelming, and it's especially difficult to see the youngest son struggle with social aspects of high school … it's a spellbinding performance from Devin Druid ("Olive Kitteridge").

Jesse Eisenberg manages to tone down his usual hyper-obnoxious mannerisms, yet still create the most unlikable character in the film … and that's saying a lot. Mr. Byrne delivers a solid performance as the Dad who is quite flawed, and other supporting work is provided by David Strathairn and Amy Ryan. The shadow cast by this woman is enormous and deep … and for nearly two hours we watch the family she left behind come to grips with her death and each other. It's a film done well, but only you can decide if it sounds like a good way to spend two hours.

Heavy-duty and complex family drama delivers the goods

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 16 May 2016]

"Louder Than Bombs" (2015 release from Norway/France; 109 min.) brings the story of the Reed family. As the movie opens, we see Jonah Red (played by Jesse Eisenberg) in the hospital with his wife and their newborn baby. After the movie's opening credits, we then shift to Isabelle Reed (played by Isabelle Huppert), a NYT was photographer who perished a few years ago and is now the subject of a retrospective. The NYT reporter who worked with her is going to write a long piece on it, and gives a heads up to widower Gene Reed (played by Gabriel Byrne). Finally, we also get to know Conrad Reed, the younger brother of Jonah. Conrad is struggling in high school, and also at home. At this point we're about 15 minutes into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from Norwegian writer-director Joachim Trier, whose previous movie, 2011's "Oslo, August 31st" was outstanding. This is his first English language movie, and here Trier dives into a complex family drama. It took me a while to figure out who was who, and what exactly is going on. Perhaps the emotional linchpin of the movie is young Conrad (played by newcomer--for me anyway Devin Druid), who's sulking character at first is not very likable, but as more and more peels of the onion are removed, the Conrad character is developed deeper and fuller. When older brother Jonah urges Conrad to "sit out" the high school years, Conrad nods but of course does the exact opposite... The movie structure for "Louder Than Bombs" is further complicated because of the multiple flashbacks involving Isabelle. And how exactly did she die anyway? This movie reminded me at times of the Robert Redford-directed family drama "Ordinary People" from 1980. In other words: heavy duty stuff. I don't know whether Eisenberg has played a better role in his still relatively young career. He is vulnerable as the older brother and the husband, trying to deal with a lot of things coming at him in life. Also keep your eyes out for a fairly small role from up-and-coming Rachel Brosnahan as Jonah's ex-girlfriend Erin. People sometimes make good choices, sometimes bad choices, "but you can't plan for what happens after you've made a choice", cautions the NYT journalist at one point. There is a lot of good music in the film, both as to the original score composed by Ola Fløttum (unknown to me), and as to other incidental music (including Tangerine Dream's "Love On a Real Train" in a newly re-recorded and extended version).

The theater's Sunday matinée screening where I saw this at this past weekend turned out to be a private screening, as in: I literally was the only person in the theater. That is a darn shame. I recognize that this type of film isn't going to attract big crowds, but not even a small crowd? Jeez... Maybe this movie will find a larger audience on VOD or when it is eventually released on DVD/Blu-ray. Regardless, if you are in the movie for a heavy duty family drama that features some great performances, you cannot go wrong with this. "Louder Than Bombs" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

...this film is like a bomb about to explode

[CineMuseFilms · 7/10 · 9 May 2016]

Most coming-of-age films lean on the romantic comedy or melodrama for shape and structure, usually with a linear storyline that leads to a metaphorical awakening or some other resolution. As you might expect from a Norwegian director, Louder than Bombs (2015) avoids this well-trodden approach by telling a multi-layered fractured tale that looks more like a thriller than a teen-drama. Adolescents who clam-up tightly to exclude the world while they catch up with its emotional challenges are common stories. The one in this film is like a bomb about to explode and his story forms the narrative spine along which several sub-plots radiate in all directions.

Conrad is an introspective young war-gamer who has closed off to the world since his famous war photographer mother Isabelle was killed three years ago. He keeps to himself at school and defiantly ignores his well-meaning ex-TV star father. A photo exhibition is planned to commemorate Isabelle's work and a former colleague plans an article that will reveal the secret truth of Isabelle's suicide. Conrad has been shielded from this truth, as well as from the affairs of his father and brother. Over-protection has increasingly isolated him until he tries to connect with a girl in class. It's a complex non-liner plot line with several flashbacks that shift across narrative lines to create the visual effect of a perfect storm of fractured people. Isabelle's war images and her memory keep appearing but the battle we are seeing is raging in the minds of those she left behind who struggle to move on with their lives.

The film has an unsettling asymmetrical style about it. You find it in the withholding of truths, in the gender inversion of a war zone mother and a TV soapies father, and in hair-trigger Conrad lashing out in all directions. While the acting is often melodramatic, the filming is edgy with sharp editing cuts and sudden discordant images that feel out of context (like tumbling aerial schoolgirls). It has an uneven but reflective pace that disorients the viewer and leaves them uncertain how the story can hold together. But through the foggy mess of their lives appears hope for better times. More art-house than spoon-fed, the film feels refreshingly free of clichés and leaves you thinking about the impact of distant memories on daily lives.

Moving

[kyliem11 · 6/10 · 24 April 2016]

Saturday night and only 12 people in the theatre to see this movie. Half way through 5 had walked out. Personally I thought it was a good watch, but it won't be to everybody's liking.

A thought provoking, moving story about the effects on a husband and two sons after their wife/mother is killed in a car crash. Good performances by Gabriel Byrne and Jesse Eisenberg as the husband and older son, but it's Devin Druid that steals the show as Conrad, the younger son, who gives an outstanding performance as a young man filled with grief. Conrad finds it difficult to communicate with his father Gene, but finds some comfort in his writings, while his older brother Jonah is not as nice as he first appears.

Isabelle Huppert plays the mother, who does not feature in the movie very much, but plays a vital part nonetheless.

It's a movie you need to watch and concentrate on, but it's worth the effort.

A family in the grief, at a different level.

[Reno-Rangan · 6/10 · 24 August 2016]

A multi-nationally produced film, especially you can call it a European product, but an English language film that takes place in the New York. The story of a husband and two sons of the famed war photographer who recently died in a car crash. So the film is focused to tell how they are going to cope with their loss, especially the little brother who has differences with his father. They all kind of drifted away from each other, but without an alternate they have to come together to go through it.

This is not a usual mourning theme, but sometimes I felt they forgot they're in mourning. Because the narration quickly shifts to various topics like the birth of a child, a new affair and trying to impress the girl whom the boy has a crush. So with all this, I completely witnessed a different type of film than what it had said. That's not bad, just a refreshing and with constant moving back and forth in in time to disclose some key events.

Mainly the portrayal splits into three to cover those three family members and each has its own specialty. Something like a film for older people, middle-aged and teens, all the these contents smartly joined together. Apart from the good show from the cast, the director did his best as usual, but this is not up to the par with his other works. For a watch this film definitely would do good. Since it's not a Hollywood, you won't have to worry about American film clichés, because it was developed much better and ends better.

6/10

Boring, mediocre and frozen

[First_Name_Last_Name · 31 December 2016]

Trier's English-languaged debut has been praised by many, but NOT by me. This is the essence of mediocrity: forgettable, not moving, not interesting, not dramatic. There is really no point to this. The cinematography is beautiful, the editing is quite inspired and interesting, but the script is awfully bland and the otherwise fantastic actors and actresses are wasted and utilized in a horrid way. Eisenberg is just plain old Eisenberg; Byrne can't save his character; and worst of all: Huppert is reduced to a boring character with no real depth or energy. It's all so incredibly lame. There are a few subplots in it, but it doesn't feel like it has a real plot or story that can drive the additions. Besides, the entire thing with the youngest son is that he likes to play Skyrim and he writes bad poetry that brings him success with a girl (realistic much??). This entire premise is horrible and made me sad for whoever wrote this uninspired crap: it's a big bowl of nothing. It's worse than nothing, it's boring, a void, a complete waste of time and Huppert. I hated it and almost couldn't finish it. Besides, a bunch of morals to the story did bother me: none of the characters are likable, but I feel like they were meant to be. The journey is not a journey, but a stagnant and static group of characters in a dull setup. It's not bad. It's just mediocre. Incredibly mediocre. Normally, the quite impressive productive forces behind a movie like this can make it count, but this one will be forgotten completely in five years - only remembered by the handful of people that could relate to one of the characters. I couldn't... Five out of ten. And maybe four on a bad day.

Surreal, intimate 'Louder Than Bombs' boils with intensity

[cinemacy · 8/10 · 27 April 2016]

Director Joachim Trier makes his English-language debut with the drama Louder Than Bombs, an intimate portrayal of one family's relationship and the struggles they must overcome in the face of death. The film made its debut at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and, coupled with Trier's reputation as an acclaimed filmmaker and visionary, is sure to make waves in the indie/art house film scene.

Isabelle Reed (Isabelle Huppert) a famed photographer who felt most comfortable in war and conflict-ridden areas, was the center of her husband Gene (Gabriel Byrne) and two sons', Jonah (Jesse Eisenberg) and teenager Conrad (Devin Druid), world. No one could have predicted that she would leave behind a familial conflict of her own doing after her untimely and suspicious death. Three years after the accident, Isabelle's works are being thrust into the spotlight when a museum in New York City asks to use her photographs for a retrospective gallery installation. Her husband accepts, as he is slowly moving on with his life and sees this as a great opportunity to honor her. However, he discovers that an accompanying New York Times article speculating Isabelle's actual cause of death is set to run simultaneously with the gallery opening, and threatens to expose the devastating truth that Gene was intent on hiding from his youngest son in order to protect him. He has no choice but to enlist his oldest son Jonah to help him get through another painful confrontation.

Louder Than Bombs is an unwavering, head-on look at the human desire for connection and the need to be understood. It's obvious in Conrad's behavior by acting out and alienating himself from his father's attempt to reconnect, as well as in his brother Jonah's promiscuity, even when he has a wife and newborn baby at home. Gene's attempt to bond with his two sons is affected by his own flaws. This humanistic condition for connection is at the forefront of the film and engages the audience into contemplating how and why we act the way we do, focusing on the relationships within our own family.

What sets Louder Than Bombs apart from other films of recent memory are the surreal moments Trier infuses within the story. Disregarding the traditional method of linear storytelling by shifting between the past and the present, these added moments put visuals to feelings that have a hard time being expressed otherwise. They are not the character's dreams, rather, they are daydreams- or what one wonders about without limitations. These moments are hauntingly beautiful and stand out as works of art on their own.

On the acting front, the assembled cast could not have been better. Jesse Eisenberg is fantastic in the role of Jonah, his trademark quick-witted clamor is controlled and even understated, serving as the voice of reason in the film. Gabriel Byrne plays the widowed Gene with sensitivity as a conflicted father trying to navigate his own direction in life, who is not without his own flaws. Devin Druid embodies the angsty, brooding teenager Conrad to such a believable degree while still holding onto the innocence of being a misunderstood child. These, plus the stellar performances from Isabella Huppert, David Strathairn, and Amy Ryan, truly give the film it's footing.

The title- Louder Than Bombs– suggests an epic, grandiose drama, but instead, what Trier creates is a meditative and restrained film that is not at all loud or brash. It is a psychological trip that leads back to the celebration of one's own uniqueness coming together to fulfill the family dynamic. There is no doubt that Joachim Trier took a risk with Louder Than Bombs, but I believe his creative vision has the potential to pay off tenfold.

For more, visit: www.cinemacy.com

Finding light in seemingly overpowering darkness.

[Hellmant · 9/10 · 13 May 2016]

'LOUDER THAN BOMBS': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Insightful drama flick, from Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier (in his English-language film debut). The movie tells the story of a husband, and his two sons, that are trying to cope with the death of the boys' mother. It was directed and co-written by Trier, with Eskil Vogt (Trier's usual writing partner). The film stars Gabriel Byrne, Jesse Eisenberg, Devin Druid, Isabelle Huppert, David Strathairn and Amy Ryan. It's a really well made movie, and it's also intensely involving.

Isabelle Reed (Huppert) was a very famous, and successful, war photographer; until her death, in a horrible car accident. Gene Reed (Byrne), and his sons, Jonah (Eisenberg) and Conrad (Druid), are still trying to get over her death. It appears as though Isabelle's death was a suicide, and her former coworker, Richard (Strathairn), is about to publish a newspaper article saying so. Gene wants to tell Conrad, who doesn't know this about his mother's passing, before the article is released; but Conrad is becoming increasingly hard for his father to talk to. Jonah recently had a child of his own, and he's just returned home, for the first time in a long while, to spend time with Gene and his depressed brother.

The movie is really well directed, and written, and the performances are all decent as well. It's a really sad story, with very well thought out and realistic characters. What's most impressive about the movie, is how inspiring it is (despite all this). Finding light in seemingly overpowering darkness, is a really hard thing to do; but Trier impressively pulls it off. He also tells the story in a pretty fresh, and unique way too. I really like this film.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/8E1WKbyL3YM

It's not that good

[Smaaax · 28 June 2020]

Not as smart as it thinks it is. It's not deep but acts like it is.

An Interesting Story Filled with Great Actors and Characters

[SquigglyCrunch · 7/10 · 2 May 2016]

Louder than Bombs follows a family three years after their mother/wife dies as an article is going to be written about her for an exhibit. The family (a father and two sons) are united and have their fair share of troubles and problems together.

The plot is good. I wouldn't say it sounds horribly interesting, and it's kind of difficult to describe. In actuality, it's really just a few guys who are trying to make things work but they're all just living life mostly. I like movies about simply living life, however, and this one is no exception. The story is interesting, and presented in an interesting way.

The characters are the clear driving force, and they are great. All the actors are very good, and their characters are more engaging than you'd think. At first glance some of them may appear one- dimensional, like they're defined by a couple traits, but they all feel like there's something more too them. Some are a little weird, especially the character of Conrad, but his character is also one of the deepest, and the most explored or focused on. Everyone else has stuff going on, but not all of it is always focused on. The characters are all pretty realistic in this way and many others. You'll just have to see it to really understand.

Overall Louder than Bombs is really great. The story is simple but provides for some interesting characters and drama, and the characters certainly are great. In the end I'd recommend this movie.

Isabelle, mon amour, tu vis dans la lumière et moi dans les coins sombres

[jgcorrea · 7/10 · 24 October 2022]

Norwegian director Joachim Trier had already shot a modernized adaptation of Pierre Drieu La Rochelle's masterpiece Le Feu Follet (previously filmed by Louis Malle in 1963), and apparently re-imbued himself with the spirit of Drieu in ''Louder than bombs.'' "Le suicide c'est la ressource des hommes dont le ressort a été rongé par la rouille." ("Le Feu follet") - "Suicide is the resource of those men whose spring has been corroded by rust" - this psychoanalytic drama is ultimately honest, reflective, perceptive and intimate. By "suicide", Trier may mean the self-destructive vocation and the sense of a life spent with no real solution apart from the act that is sometimes apparently impossible to keep moving forward. Isabelle Huppert, in achronological flashbacks and dreams, lives the feeling of never being in the "right" place. Everyone has the discreet charm of the cosmopolitan intellectual bourgeois. Everyone feels the will-o'-the-wisp of neurosis, or vice versa. Noisier than bombs are, to be sure, internal repressions more "rusty" than the psyche's springs.

Louder Than Bombs

[sammyboo21-999-252517 · 7/10 · 9 May 2016]

There is a scene towards the end where a teenage boy is walking a drunk teenage girl home after a late party. He is a quiet boy and she is the cheerleader. They walk through the neighborhood in the early hours of the morning right before the sun rises. This scene is what I like to call a Life scene. It goes on and on just like real life. Its a real and beautiful moment. It is true. Louder than bombs consist of a few more scenes like this and although I didn't Love the movie as a whole I did Love a lot of scenes. Jesse Eisenberg gave one of his worst performances in Batman V Superman and now he gives one of his best performances. He is sly and cunning and seems that have everything in check. So does the father played by gabrielle Byrne. In the beginning in seems like the youngest son is the most lost after the death of the mother played by the always excellent isabelle huppbert, but it isn't until the end that we see that the youngest son was the one that was the most put together. Louder than Bombs is a good movie, maybe not great but good and it has terrific performances from the entire cast. ***1/2 out of 5.

Less strong than bombs

[danybur · 6/10 · 3 January 2021]

Another of those stylized films that is afraid of melodrama, about the grief of a father and his two sons on the occasion of an exhibition organized in honor of the wife and mother, a famous war photographer, killed in a car crash two years earlier .

Directed by Norwegian Joachim Trier. With Isabelle Huppert making faces as a hook and figurehead in the role of the mother photographer, Gabriel Byrne as a widower, former actor and teacher, Jesse Eisenberg, as the eldest son, recent father but with doubts, Devin Druid as the unbearable youngest son isolated with his father and Amy Ryan, as the father's colleague and lover, perhaps the only character who evokes some empathy.

While the ghost of the mother and her motivations flies over as an intrigue, everything about the characters (and the film) is so listless and measured that, frankly, nothing happens. (reminds me of that Manchester by the Sea style)

Nor does the broken temporal structure with flashbacks help to create any dramatic progression.

The difficulty of communication and living together

[OJT · 8/10 · 6 October 2015]

Acclaimed Norwegian filmmakers Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt has done another profound film which will be talked about in years to come. This film was chosen for the main program at this years Cannes festival, after Trier's last movie was shown in the festivals' "Un certain regard"- program. Joachim Triers granddad, Erik Løchen, participated in the main program with his acclaimed "Jakten"/"The hunt" in 1960, and Lars von Trier is also said to be a distant relative, though I haven't found the proof of that.

In this drama we meet the men, and the woman (Isabelle Huppert) of which their life has circled around. The mother died a couple of years ago in a car accident after colliding with a meeting trailer. The husband (Gabriel Byrne), which is a teacher, and the two sons has moved on, and we come into their lives when there is to be a memorial exhibition for her, when the oldest son (Jesse Eisenberg) just see his first kid being born at the hospital, and the youngest (Devin Druid) is seemingly living in his own world and in the video games he plays.

The film must be interpreted by each viewer, and will mean different thing to each one giving time to this film, but I would say the film is about awareness in your own life, as well as the difficulty in living together with other persons, especially if you don't have the communication needed.

The film is also from time to time bringing you into the thought of all the main persons, and especially into the youngest son's stream of consciousness of weird thoughts. The three men communicate, but are all keeping secrets from each other. These secrets seem more or less profound for each of them, and are all stories which should be told. How this all unravels is the excitement and tension of the film.

Well, go watch it! The film has capability to both be life changing and food for thought, and I liked it on that basis. I was expecting the film to have a stronger emotional impact on me, which disappointed me a little, but it sure will do that to others, depending on life experiences.

The style has obviously been very influenced by several great film makers, amongst them, some of the French masters. An obvious reference to me was Louis Malle's masterpiece "Le feu follet", and Luis Bunuel's "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie", but there's many more.

We've just seen the start of the magic to come out of the friendship between Joachim Trier and fellow script writer and filmmaker Eskil Vogt. I sense there are great films to come out of this cooperation.

Well worth a watch, but don't expect an action movie. Be ready to use your brain.

Trier is a wizard of the screen, always beautiful films.

[mehobulls · 7/10 · 27 August 2020]

Trier's english debut didn't surprise me, okay, maybe absence of Anders Danielsen Lie is something unusual for this director. Anyway, this story of searching for truth while getting into more and more lies shows, again, that Trier in his movies is not looking for a "Big Truth", but for the real emotions. Superb Eisenberg and Druid. Oh, I think that every movie needs a dance scene. This one had it. And it's beautiful.

Disaster!

[avtiger · 2/10 · 19 April 2016]

This was one of the worst films i've seen in a long time. The direction was all over the map, i found very little sympathy for the characters, particularly the two young boys. The acting was not very strong. The movie was also way too dramatic and overdone. I'm just not clear what the director was trying to convey exactly? I blame most of the issues with the Director. This is unfortunately a very bad movie and not worth purchasing a ticket for admission. I'm sure this movie will be gone from the theatres very soon. Word of mouth will send this film too Net Flick soon. Wait for a rental and even then i'm not sure this film is even worth a rental. It truly is that bad. Two Thumbs Down....Way, Way Down!

Indecipherable, aimless drivel

[Gordon-11 · 20 January 2017]

This film tells the story of a father and his two teenage sons, who core cope with the untimely death of their wife / mother due to a traffic accident. Their grief is further complicated by a breakdown on communication.

I tried very hard to understand the story, but honestly I didn't understand a thing. "Louder Than Bombs" tries to tell a story of a dysfunctional family, but it ends up being an aimless drivel. I have no idea what the story is trying to convey. It jumps between the past and present inexplicably, and there is little continuity and connection between the past and present. And what's the fascination with decomposition of bodies? Those scenes are just plain gross. Perhaps the scenes are there to be provocative, but they simply alienate viewers from the film. Furthermore, it is not interesting to see teenagers sulk all the time. I regret having wasted my time watching this indecipherable collage of scenes.

Fantastic.

[tonyelvin-97644 · 10/10 · 8 November 2020]

Congratulations Mr. Trier and to the cast. What a great story. It was a movie to watch tonight. I could relate to the "drama" in these peoples lives.

English is not my first language so i wish you understood norwegian , ha-ha...

No, really...the title is very accurate for the movie...The inner noise can surely be louder than bombs. It took me back to the solitude in my high-school, the resentment against the high-school , the "happy" people, the secret love for the girl in my class.

Thank you, and thank you.... happy that i found your movie in city-library.

All best.

Slow, pretentious, boring mess - too many long pauses.

[emuir-1 · 1/10 · 10 July 2017]

Attracted by a good cast, Gabriel Byrne, Isabelle Huppert, David Strathairn, I checked this film out of the library. Not since 'Elivra Madigan' in the 60's have I endured such a boring film. After 20 minutes of suffering through long pauses and slow responses between characters speaking to each other, I fast forwarded to the end. Not only did the pauses of at least two seconds, which in a conversation is an eternity, especially as one character is totally immobile while the other fiddles with her hair, grimaces, puts her hand up to her mouth, lips tremble and whatever else she learned at the school of bad acting.

I enjoy foreign language films and am happy with a slow pace if it engrosses me, but this did not hold my attention for even five minutes. If they had trimmed the conversational pauses, and the characters standing stock still for no reason, they could have lopped an hour off the film, or at least filled in more dialog. I should have been warned by the blurb on the box which spoke of the dysfunctional family of a deceased woman each trying to reconcile their emotions and deal with her death in their own way. I will know better next time.

When did all this hair chewing, hand wringing, voice trembling and verbal stumbling, or rigid immobility, begin to pass for acting? I watch films of the 40's and 50's which had none of this, yet it seems everywhere these days. The high school girl unable to read words of more than one syllable (or was it more than three letters) without stumbling as the camera stayed on her for five minutes. Was this a school for developmentally handicapped teenagers?

The other thing which annoyed the heck out of me, but this may be my age, was the apologetic father who let his younger son get away with foul mouthed insolence when he should have smacked that out of him a long time ago. It was not Gene's fault that his son was a brat. I never want to see another film where parents take the blame for the bad behavior of their children.

My overall opinion: a pretentious time waster.

Life and death are at conflict

[cekadah · 10/10 · 9 May 2016]

After watching this film my first reaction was that the story isn't about the family (father, sons, wife) and their emotional needs but about what the mothers photographs fails to convey and emanate to the viewer.

In this movie it is easy to empathize and sympathize with the family's tragic loss of their mother, the solitude and loneliness felt by the youngest son Conrad, the fathers need for companionship and to communicate with someone his own age and the frustration he feels because Conrad seems to have rejected him, and the oldest son Jonah having to juggle the death of his mother and being a new father and far away from his wife and newborn. Life and death are at conflict here! These are moving talking people; we see them as living beings. BUT in the mothers photography we are only given still images of people who are suffering and unable to communicate with the viewer outside of the viewers imagination. Still images cannot have the same effect as moving talking living beings.

The mothers photography showing the dispossessed and their pained faces and suffering bodies becomes art. Pleasure can be found in art! But in real life pain accompanies pleasure. A two dimensional photo of people in distant locals cannot be louder than bombs. Only the living and daily life can be louder than bombs.

This film is so finely crafted, scripted, acted, that endless discussion can be made from it.

Poignant moments.

[marior-27148 · 8/10 · 26 August 2017]

Good films capture the essence of life, of growing up, the pain, the exclusion, the dynamics that are often felt, and less explored.

I shared the tears of Conrad during the telling "Walk with Melanie" part in which the self reflection recognizes, in the moment, a special time with an adored person that will never come to anything. The tears flowing perhaps at recognition of that, or that the person is not the idol you make them to appear and that its all for not anyway. Who hasn't had an experience like that during a boyhood crush?

The interaction between the brothers is breathtaking and the advice not to share the letter is classic indication of love, of the older brother understanding the pain and not wanting Conrad to further inure his pain.

Strangely though the minutes with Melanie ends up being a tonic for Conrad in which he could move through his pain, even obtain reassurance that it was nice that Melanie could even think that Tuesday lunch would be nice with him. Its touching too in that it is obvious that Conrad, and Jonah are intellects and the girl, in reality, through the described misplaced High School hierarchy, probably looks up to Conrad as well albeit this can't be communicated within the high school corridors of cool.

I comment extensively on the Walk with Melanie part of the movie because it is one of the classic unsequestered young love moments captured in modern film. So eloquent even within the context of what the sad

and tenuous connection was. Walking an inebriated girl home and there being no other connection. With the soundtrack grabbing hold at that exact moment and reprised in the closing credits with the namesake "louder than bombs" perfectly capturing the emotion of the film.

The whole film is mesmerizing albeit I felt the mother, played by Isabel Huppert was weak. Perhaps because she was so unlikable. The movie did not accurately or meaningfully depict how a women would chose war correspondence over caring for her children or how and why that would occur. Nor did it explain a women falling for a despicably played Richard (David Straithairn) who I have liked in films but who played an unlikable character in this one. Plus that she is married to Gabriel Byrne. One has to suspend belief to believe that somebody would prefer Straithairn over Byrne. Or that his children would find him so unlikable. Perhaps some casting mistakes but the brothers, and Melanie, and the teacher were letter perfect casting.

Thoroughly enjoyed it

[jimsearlephotography · 8/10 · 13 August 2017]

Being a photographer, and having huge respect for photojournalism (and good movie's about photojournalists such as "The Bang Bang Club" - must watch it!) I felt somewhat inclined to watch this movie when coming across it by chance. Although the movie speaks little of photojournalism, what is said regarding the mothers job as a photojournalist is in my opinion, quite profound. What I think the movie is really about, in broad terms, is about family relationships and dealing with issues as time passes and things change within a family, and I think the way that this theme is conducted throughout is natural and relatable. I also really enjoyed the cinematography and thought the movie was shot very well, again with a very natural feel to it, although the style of the movie is not extremely unique (not necessarily a bad thing just a comment) Overall I think it was a great film, and would like to see what else this director has been involved in!

An austeric drama

[ashishmanocha01 · 8/10 · 14 January 2021]

I am on a Jesse Eisenberg re-binge, and this one I hadn't watched earlier.. The character writing was especially for the father and Comrad was great.. Movie has some great visuals.. A very realistic touch.. Jesse is not in the lead, but a treat for his fans.. The story is nothing extraordinary, but the execution and character writing is.. I loved it.. And I'd suggest you to give it a shot, especially if you were a quiet, introverted kid during high school, who had stuffed up emotions and tough time with family, you would highly relate

Mubi Selection

[yusufpiskin · 8/10 · 12 December 2020]

Cannes Film Festival - 2015 Stockholm International Film Festival -2015 Festival du Nouveau Cinéma - 2015 Ghent Film Festival - 2015

Isabelle Huppert is only but a dream in this melancholia story of a widowed father played by the wonderful Gabriel Byrne and his two sons. All dealing with grief in their own way.

What happens when you take the mother the core out of the equation, out of the family?

Joachim Trier does a fantastic job telling that tale, blending infidelity, imagination and the loss of hope of what will never be again.