As is often the case with smaller, independent films, Louder Than Bombs has already spent some time gathering momentum on the festival circuit – including the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, during which our own Sam Woolf sang its praises in a capsule review.
As the third feature film from writer-director Joachim Trier and his co-writer, Eskil Vogt, this drama paints a quietly powerful portrait of the ways in which deep grief resonates through a family.
For more information, you can consult the plot summary below:
“On the eve of an exhibition honoring noted war photographer Isabelle Reed (Isabelle Huppert), whose career was cut short in the wake of her untimely death, a father and two sons grapple with her domestic and professional legacy. Flashbacks of Isabelle’s conflated role of wife, mother and photojournalist intermingle with the present-day attempts of the Reeds to manage their grief amid combat of a different kind.
Family patriarch Gene (Gabriel Byrne) discovers secrets about his late spouse while pursuing a new romance and struggling to connect with teenage son Conrad (Devin Druid), who hides in video games and introspection. Adult son Jonah (Jesse Eisenberg) takes leave from academic and married life to organize his mother’s archive, only to slip into reckless behavior. Past and present coalesce in sharp focus as the surviving Reeds come to terms with love and loss — locating in memories both painful and joyous the skills they need to soldier on…”
Utilising the impressive acting talents of Gabriel Byrne, Jesse Eisenberg, Devin Druid, Rachel Brosnahan, David Strathairn, Amy Ryan, and Isabelle Huppert, the film looks to be a fascinating exploration of love and family, and this new trailer provides glimpses of breathtaking filmmaking.
Where lesser creative endeavours might descend into melodrama and distracting histrionics, Louder Than Bombs appears to keep close counsel – delivering a depiction of quiet devastation, and the desperation that accompanies profound loss. Find it in cinemas from April 8th, 2016, and on demand from July 12th.
