Louder Than Bombs (2015)
2015
109 Minutes
Three years after his wife, acclaimed photographer Laura Freed, dies in a car crash, Gene keeps everyday life going with his shy teenage son, Conrad. A planned exhibition of Laura’s photographs...
User Review
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Louder Than Bombs might not be loud or explosive, but it certainly packs a punch. Another quiet indie drama that went under the radar, its unfortunate really because these low key films have some of the best cinematography out there. A famous modern war photographer, who uses pictures of conflict to express the damage of warfare, is killed in a car accident. The remaining family members must go through her unpublished work for a final article, to which becomes more of a personal journey for them all. Essentially it's another drama about grief, an all too familiar concept that is completely saturated with depressing dramas. This one is no different, but it's execution sets it apart from the basic example. Each family member goes through grief in their own different way. The husband remains tranquil and yearns to communicate more with his sons. The eldest son cheats on his wife with his ex-girlfriend. The youngest son shuts himself off from the world in solitude, continually playing video games and being apart from others. It didn't feel artificial, in fact I thought these characters were perhaps some of the most realistic I've seen in a drama of this type for quite some time. Then we find out that the wife also isn't exactly perfect, and so we have ourselves a broken imperfect family. The problem with that, it's not exactly exciting. Various scenes of just characters staring into the distance as internal narration takes over. A decision that perhaps over stylised the narrative, to a point where it felt too glossy and superficial. I wanted the plot to delve deeper into their emotions, a few more outbursts and some powerhouse scenes. Alas, the tone remained calm throughout which I can also appreciate. Director Trier does utilise a competent cast to deliver the emotional captivation. Huppert's small screen time felt everlasting. Eisenberg gave another understated performance. Druid surprisingly held the film together. A novelistic approach that just can't quite reach the heights of sophistication.0 member like this review.
