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"A smart, measured tale steeped in understatement and complemented by first-rate performances all round." – Indiewire
Norwegian director Joachim Trier's (Oslo, 31 August, MIFF 2012) English-language debut, Louder Than Bombs explores the grief and dislocation felt by a widower (Gabriel Byrne) and his two sons (Devin Druid and Jesse Eisenberg) following the death of their wife and mother, Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert). A war photographer based in Syria, Isabelle's return to leafy suburban life after wartime violence left her in a fragile state and the possibility that her death was in fact suicide opens up old wounds for her family.
Continuing Trier's tradition of literary, multilayered narratives, Louder Than Bombs adopts a non-linear approach to present a subtle psychological drama about a family's tragic inability to connect.
"Novelistic in subject and structure, but completely cinematic in the way it expresses itself … this is a film of superb performances, mysteries, and moments of earthy poeticism." – The AV Club