Search - Reprise on DVD

Orignal and Thoughtful

SORE EYES | 10/29/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the debut film by Joachim Trier, childhood friends Erik and Phillip (Espen Klouman-Høiner and Anders Danielsen Lie) embark on a life as novelists. They send their first novel out on the same day. Only Phillip's is published. Then Phillip meets Kari and his art seems like shallow inspiration compared to his passion for his girlfriend. For reasons which aren't made clear in the film, (a head injury from a car accident, passion, the pressure of fame?) Phillip has a nervous breakdown and enters a mental institution.

When Phillip leaves the mental institution, Erik gets his book published while keeping a careful eye on Phillip. Phillip realizes he isn't the artist he thought he was. He has no desire to write and feels that his first success was a good regurgatation of a writer hero he and Erik both admire. He hints that he believes Erik's novel may be the same. Erik isn't willing to accept this and decides to leave behind the negative influences on his life in Oslo. Phillip reenters the mental institution-probably for good. Phillip is destroyed by the fact that his dreams were disappointing and Erik embarks on another course-reaffirming his life ambition by continuing to write.

Gorgeously filmed, good acting and a stimulating script. Avoids all cliche and pretension and is very original. It may be a bit artsy and slow for some. Don't expect fireworks. But if you find the themes I mentioned interesting, you'll find some redemption in Reprise."

Fantastic Film about Youth and Ambition

K. McKowen | Providence, RI USA | 01/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To anyone reading this: Congratulations, you have made a great discovery with this little piece of Norwegian cinema. Reprise is a film that successfully combines poignant drama with entertaining storytelling. Ostensibly, this is a film about two young writers negotiating social lives, literary ambitions and their friendship. On a deeper level, it's a story that delves into what it means to realize that one cannot live well through just writing, listening to unique music, and avoiding clichés. Along the way, there are moments that are funny, moments that are sad, and moments that are inspiring.

On the technical side, the film is endlessly surprising. According to those in the know, it's filmed in what is called the "French New Wave" style. I have no idea what that means, but from Reprise, I can assume that it is like crossing Run Lola Run with Snatch. Trier does it well and keeps the film from ever feeling very superficial.

Admittedly, young male viewers might identify more with Erik and Philip (and the immature lives they lead with their friends), but this shouldn't stop anyone from checking the film out. There is a story here for everyone about expectations and reality, friendship and ambition. In my opinion, Reprise is one of the most fascinating films of the last decade and one that certainly deserves more than just one thoughtful viewing.
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A most impressive directorial debut

Roland E. Zwick | Valencia, Ca USA | 01/18/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Norwegian drama, "Reprise," is the first feature-length work by Danish-born director Joachim Trier - a premier effort that bodes great things for his future as a filmmaker. He is clearly alive to the possibilities of the medium, as reflected in the original, highly idiosyncratic style he brings to the film. Trier deftly employs many of the tools of the filmmaker's trade - narration, flashbacks, flash forwards, near-subliminal quick cuts to show imagined events, etc. - to convey his story. Yet, rare for a newcomer, Trier never indulges in any of these "tricks" for their own sweet sake or to call attention to his own ingenuity; they are always placed at the service of the material, never the other way around.
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Best friends from childhood, Erik and Phillip share the hope of one day becoming writers whose works will go beyond the merely commercial to challenge the status quo - thereby earning them the coveted status of "cult" authors. As it turns out, Phillip's novel is published, but Erik's is not, yet Phillip winds up paying a price for his success, namely an emotional breakdown that has Erik performing a near-round-the-clock suicide-prevention watch on his friend. Meanwhile, Erik continues on with his writing, experiencing success and disappointment - both professional and personal - along the way.

Erik and Phillip are both extremely complex characters, and Trier provides no penny-ante analysis to make them more easily understandable for the audience. Sometimes it's hard to tell what exactly it is that is bothering the two, except that, in Philip's case at least, it might be actual mental illness that lies at the root of his problem. Like many creative types, Erik and Phillip seem incapable of not over-analyzing and over-intellectualizing every single aspect of their lives, often resulting in a chronic dissatisfaction with themselves and the world around them. As writers, they become obsessed with trying to convey every single nuance of life through language, and when they fail at that endeavor - as they inevitably do - the only viable option left for them seems to be either depression or madness. As a consequence of all this, their relationships with women don't work out - and even their own longtime friendship threatens to come apart at the seams the deeper they go into brutal self-awareness.

As Erik and Phillip, Espen Klouman-Hoiner and Anders Danielsen Lie give supple, sensitive performances, as does Viktoria Winge as Phillip's on-again/off-again love interest. The screenplay is rich in texture and sophisticated in theme, while the filmmaking itself sparkles with bold creativity and unfettered imagination.

As touching as it is thought-provoking, "Reprise" is a remarkably accomplished and assured piece of filmmaking - especially coming from a first timer."

Sexing Literature

Michael Kerjman | 01/05/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sharing a passion to literature, since boyhood grown up non-separately, two young males try convincing themselves, each other and the rest of the world in theirs
straightness -inconvincibly to their girlfriends.

A story developed during a decade significantly assures that although English-speaking market provides better commercial opportunities for selling books, much more number of small folks is to be interested in their languages and modern literature local trends.
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