But then, just when you realize the movie's almost coming to an end, you really can't hold up any longer and with much pain in your heart you have to leave the room, while the movie's still playing. And then when you come back as fast as you can you find the film to have already ended, without you there. That is exactly what happened to me yesterday evening when I watched the amazing Reprise by director Joachim Trier. Now, when I left the movie only went on for like three minutes and I'm pretty sure I could have stuck in there longer, but at that moment I thought my bladder was going to break. So no way I could stay. Very, very frustrated I was and I am still. You can tell me how it ends, you can tell me I've missed nothing important and that when I went away nothing much happened and the movie kind of already came to a close the moment I left. But no way that that will ever be enough. I have to see it myself, even if I missed only three minutes or even less. I need to see it with my own eyes. So I'm definitely going again. I have to. I can't live like this. I know it's kind of ridiculous, but it's just the way it is. The film however was brilliant, even though some people would probably disagree with me. During the movie people kept changing positions in their seats, one of them even fell asleep and could be heard snoring. I understand why, though. The beginning of this film is a bit hard to sit through, it takes some time for the characters and the story to establish itself. A lot of things are told at a high pace. Flashbacks, all these characters who are introduced during a concert and who all belong to the group of friends of the two male protagonists, and events that are presented to us with much fanfare. But then when all that is over you're left with these beautiful characters that you have come to know and feel you have a bond with. The group of friends seem so real. Nothing about these guys is romanticized. They make fun of each other, even talk trash behind each other's back. They seem close, but yet on an emotional level they don't really seem to know what's going on with every guy personally. Some of them are left with feelings they don't share. When they are together they are just joking and having fun. Like so many friends do. But something has happened to one of them that kind of changes their relationship. At the beginning of the film Phillip, a young twentysomething, is seen together with Erik, his best friend. They both want to become writers. Their manuscripts tightly in their hands they shove them through the big red mail box. Then, everything that happens to them from then on is shown, like a fast flashforward. But eventually the two guys are seen standing in front of the mailbox again and we are shown what really happens. Hence the title 'Reprise', which means repetition or return and is frequently used in music. As a viewer you learn about Phillip's mental state. After his book got published he hurt himself, maybe even want to commit suicide. And as the story progresses it turns out he got a bit too obessed with this girl, Kari. The way director Joachim Trier, who is a former two time Norwegian skater champion, brings the story into view is remarkable. Everyone who loves cinema is going to be sitting in awe watching all the great ideas he put into his movie. One thing that first caught my attention was the way he puts the camera close to Erik's head. A shot that shows Erik from behind, camera close to his ear, gives this great feeling of being close to his thoughts as a viewer. It's like you're being put in a position to look inside his mind. You can almost feel the thoughts that run through it. This shot is repeated a couple of times during the course of the film. Another great, great thing was how he showed the conversations between Erik and the girl he loved so much, Kari. Images are shown of them being at two different locations. You see shots of them walking outside in what seems to be a park. But cuts that are inserted throughout this scene show shots of the two sitting in this little café talking. And the most remarkable thing is that a conversation is heard between the two, but sometimes the sentences are shown being spoken during their conversation in the café and sometimes during their walk outside. But the conversation that is heard is one conversation, all of which is taking place at the same time. It's chronological, but it is suggested the conversation could have happened either way outside or inside. And at the same time the conversation they are having now could have taken place at an earlier time and during that conversation they used some of the same sentences that are coming from their lips right now. And therefore, also, not every sentence is shown spoken when they sit at their table in the café. Their are moments you can hear their voices, hear them speaking, but then on screen the actors stay silent. But then all of a sudden Erik is seen in the café speaking one of the sentences you hear. But the one that went before that was not shown as being spoken by Kari on screen which enhances the effect of not being sure when the conversation took place and where. It gives way for this wonderful dream like state that kind of had me stunned. Also Trier uses a lot of silences. And by that I don't just mean that characters are shown not saying a single word, but there just isn't any sound. All you look at are images. It's a beautiful way of expressing and letting the viewer experience the coldness and the hurt that the characters have to endure. A thing what the film doesn't really seem to have is structure. At least, a lot of the time you feel like you're watching real moments out of the character's lives. A lot happens in this film. And instead of having a clear beginning, middle and end (though I did not actually see the end, you could say I left during the closing scene, so I kind of do know how it ends) it just feels like a mozaïque of events. Of course the film has structure, but not like you are used to. Flashbacks come up at any time. And even though there is a story told chronologically, it doesn't feel as if some of the scenes really had to be shown at the moment they actually were, but could have easily been shown at a later moment without totally breaking apart the story. This is definitely not a bad thing and only made the film more realistic. The characters are very nicely developed. As a viewer you feel you really know what these characters go through and you understand them. You learn much about their relationships and friendships and their inner state. Beside tragedy there's also some comedy in Reprise, even though the tragedy and the drama take the overhand. It's a beautiful sad film, that can be kind of though in the way it present its topics and uncovers them. You feel for the characters, but much more in a way of understanding than in a way of feeling really bad for them. Overall Reprise is a wonderful depiction of sadness and pain felt by this youngsters. At the same time it shows real friendship and is about ideals characters have and dreams. And as all of this is being told and shown you also get a very nice picture of Norway and its culture. Reprise is a film that lingers and has so much to offer. It feels very complete and rich and is carried out brilliantly. Trier is great in presenting the way characters feel. He really seeps through them and makes them understandable for the viewer. Reprise is a wonderful piece of cinema, which I guess not everyone will get. But if you are open and up to challenge yourself and don't run off the very moment you feel this film doesn't seem to go anywhere, you will watch something that not only looks beautiful visually but also tells a beautiful story with great characters you come to really know and understand.What is it about?
Phillip and Erik, two long time and very ambitious friends, dream of becoming a writer. In order to make their dreams a reality, they send off their manuscripts hoping someone will publish their story. Phillip's book gets published, but Erik's isn't. His novel gets rejected. Finally living his dream, you expect Phillip to fully enjoy everything that has happened. However, it all becomes a too much for him to handle which leads to him having a breakdown. He cut himself a couple of times and is found by Erik with blood on his shirt. Soon he's brought to a psychiatric
hospital to get him back on track. One of the reasons he was driven to this insanity is his love for Kari, the girl he believes to be made for him. Together they decideded to leave Norway and go to Paris where they fell madly in love. But for Phillip it all became a bit too overwhelming. Six months after he cut himself, he is allowed to go back home. Erik and the others from their group of friends take him home where he find his mother to have taken away all pictures of Kari that were once hanging on his wall. She never visited him since it was thought to be better if they'd no longer had contact, not until Phillip got better. When he finally is brought back into society again, he gradually meets up with Kari again and they try to resolve their relationship. Meanwhile Erik is writing another book, still hoping that one day his work will get published. Afraid of his relationship turning sour when he will stay together with his girlfriend Lillian during the publishing of his book, he decides to break up with her, but eventually doesn't. After a while Erik manages to find a publisher for his book and is about to gain attention as a professional writer. But now that succes finally seems to be close at hand, he starts wondering if the same that happened to Phillip, might happen to him and he soon will have to find out how he will deal with being a professional writer.Final Verdict: ****1/2
What Reprise most reminded me of was the film Jules Et Jim (Fr: Truffaut, 1962). Both films make use of a narrator that can be heard as a voice-over, one that isn't a character in the film itself and therefore never appears in the created film world. This narrator, like in Jules Et Jim, talks about both Phillip and Erik, their relationships and the things going through their mind. I'm not sure if Trier was inspired by that particular film, but they felt to be very much the same in that one aspect. Reprise presents a fresh take on topics that have been shown in films many times before, but the way it is done is very original and refreshing. Trier really tells a lot visually. The place where he puts the camera, the angles from where actors are being filmed, it's all done to create some kind of feeling and atmosphere. He uses a lot of whites and blues which perfectly fit the story and the state of the characters. The many ideas that are brought to life in Reprise are very inspiring. Especially those scenes where you never quite know whether they take place in the past or the here and now. It's an aspect that I would include in my film as well, if I would ever make one. Reprise really feels to come full circle with itself. You watch these characters and their big ambitions and see how they cope with the direction their lives eventually tends to take. Reprise gives a beautiful look at the life of twenty year olds. There search for the one thing that they think will bring them happiness and satisfaction, which for both Erik and Phillip is becoming a writer. Trier tells the story so vividly. Especially at the beginning the film sparkles with energy. Lots of cuts provide for a fast pace and the movies soundtrack uses its sound to stress certain cuts and make them look sharper,
edgier. Reprise is a film that feels very much alive, has a great young cast of talented actors and tells their character's life story wonderfully. The photography and all these beautiful other aspects that Trier has put inside this film really takes Reprise to a whole new level. Its definitely one of the strenghts of the film. Phillip is played very strongly by Anders Danielsen Lie, as is Erik, played by Espen Klouman-Høiner and Viktoria Winge, who plays Kari, is truly mesmerizing. You can see that they're young, though, and aren't yet that experienced. But it's just that which also gives the film its freshness and makes it so alive. You can see that both actors and the director are still a bit new to this, because of their fresh acting and the daring choices Trier has made with this film. Reprise really is a beautiful film on many levels. Some might not get it and will probably not understand my love for it. But if you love cinema and are very open to things that are a bit different, you will probably appreciate as much as I did.
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