Product Description

UPC:786936756128
DESCRIPTION: From one of the producers of the Academy Award(R)-winning NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN(Best Picture, 2007), comes this critically acclaimed,
postmodern Norwegian coming-of-age story. REPRISE follows two aspiring novelists and lifelong friends journeying down different paths after one's first novel receives wild acclaim and the other a pile of rejection slips. Filled with infectious energy, filmed in French New Wave style and featuring a stellar up-and-coming young cast, REPRISE is an extraordinary film you'll want to experience again and again.
END

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35826 in DVD
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: Norwegian
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.com
Can inspiration--or genius, or love--be recreated? That's the intriguing theme of the breathtaking Norwegian film Reprise, which on its surface appears to be a straightforward coming-of-age tale, but is layered with nuance and time-bending, emotional projections. The result is a finely acted, sophisticated portrait of very real, sometimes broken, young people, not nearly as devil-may-care as they might project. The story revolves around two cocky pals, Phillip (Anders Danielson Lie) and Erik (Espen Klouman-Hoiner), both aspiring writers who send off their debut novels in the mail at the film's beginning. What unspools are the dreams and nightmares that result. Phillip becomes a national literary sensation--then suffers a shattering breakdown. Erik's novel is rejected so he goes back to writing, with reduced expectations. The film gathers momentum with the release of Phillip from a mental hospital, still fragile yet armed with hard-won perspective.

It's writer-director Joachim Trier's triumph that the viewer is riveted to the stories of the men and their friends, even as the sensation of watching is a bit off-kilter, with scenes flashing backward and forward, and sometimes just manifesting a character's innermost fears. The acting and script are fierce and guileless. Phillip, reconnecting with his former flame Kari, reminisces, "Remember when I tricked you into falling in love with me in Paris?" The viewer gasps a bit at his naked honesty--then gasps again at Kari's gentle, unflinching reply, as though it were the most normal question in the world: "I was already in love with you." The film also keeps generous threads of humor running throughout, including the hilarious, but very unprintable, song titles of a pal's punk band. Play it, again. --A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Film about Youth and Ambition
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.

Orignal and Thoughtful
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.

4.5 stars if you are a patient cinephile
i really enjoyed this movie on several levels; the editing, acting, and gorgeous lighting are just a few of the positive aspects of this film. for example, i was not surprised that the director and cinematographer are big fans of of vermeer and john singer sargent. some of the individual shots in this film are set-up in just those styles. stunning. but, i would not recommend this film for everyone. this film draws on many film styles (french 'new wave' for one) that may confuse or seem 'artsy' to some viewers. this first time director i believe is very gifted and this is an excellent debut work. he has done his homework and created a beautiful work of art. if you are a patient viewer and have a bit of an artistic eye i'm confident you will enjoy this film. oh yeah, this film is funny! it took me a while to understand this. kind of you know when some of us americans don't get british humor? well, humor from norway is kind of like that. by the 2nd half of the film, i 'got it' a little more and let out some hearty chuckles. having said that, there are some serious downer themes in this film. and, that's the reason i ended-up taking half a star off my review. the film seems a bit confused about what it's message is. still, i highly recommend this film for the right type of viewer.