''Reprise'' is a 2006 Norwegian
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
film directed by
Joachim Trier
Joachim Trier () (born 1 March 1974) is a Danish-born Norwegian film director, best known for ''Oslo, August 31st'' (2011), ''Louder Than Bombs'' (2015), ''Thelma'' (2017), and '' The Worst Person in the World'' (2021). For the latter film, he ...
and co-written, over the course of five years, by Trier and
Eskil Vogt
Eskil Vogt (born 31 October 1974) is a Norwegian film director and screenwriter.
His films include ''Reprise'' (2006), ''Oslo, August 31st'' (2011), ''Louder Than Bombs'' (2015), and ''Thelma'' (2017) all of which were directed by Joachim Trier f ...
. It is Trier's first feature-length film and the first, along with ''
Oslo, August 31st
''Oslo, August 31st'' ( no, Oslo, 31. august) is a 2011 Norwegian drama film directed by Joachim Trier. It is the second film, along with ''Reprise'' (2006) and '' The Worst Person in the World'' (2021), in Trier's "Oslo Trilogy". The film is a h ...
'' (2011) and ''
The Worst Person in the World'' (2021), in the director's "Oslo Trilogy".
The film follows a friend group of
Oslovians as they navigate their early 20s, focusing particularly on Erik (
Espen Klouman Høiner
Espen Klouman Høiner (born 31 August 1981, in Nesodden, Akershus) is a Norwegian writer and actor. He graduated from Westerdals School of Communication and Norwegian National Academy of Theatre in Oslo. He first appeared in the teen drama ''B ...
) and Phillip (
Anders Danielsen Lie
Anders Danielsen Lie (born 1 January 1979) is a Norwegian actor, musician and medical doctor.
Education
Danielsen Lie studied Ancient Greek (1997-1998), musicology (2001-2003) and medicine (1999-2007) at the University of Oslo.
Career Acting ...
), who both harbour ambitions of being writers but whose lives take different paths.
It was the
Norwegian submission for the
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
in 2006.
Plot
Best friends Erik and Phillip, both 23, have written books and fantasize that their novels will become cult hits. However when they both submit manuscripts Erik's is rejected. Phillip's, on the other hand, is immediately accepted and a year later he becomes a star of the Norwegian literary scene.
Six months later, Erik and his friends pick up Phillip at a psychiatric hospital to bring him home after treatment following a suicide attempt. It is revealed that Phillip is suffering from psychosis which doctors believe was triggered by his whirlwind romance with Kari, a girl he met and fell in love with at an underground punk show. Still unpublished, Erik hasn't given up his dream, and continues to submit while Phillip shies away from all mention of writing. Instead Phillip tries to reunite with Kari, who on the advise of his psychiatrists hasn't seen Phillip in seven months.
Erik's revised novel finally is accepted by a publisher. He struggles to assert himself during the editing process and wonders whether he should stay with his girlfriend, Lilian, who he fears is holding him back from success. His publisher invites him to a book launch where Erik learns that Sten Egil Dahl, a reclusive writer he and Phillip both admire deeply, will be in attendance. Erik invites Phillip to the launch but Phillip is quickly overwhelmed and leaves early. Meanwhile Erik's attempt to meet Dahl is botched by another writer.
Still unable to write, Phillip invites Kari to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to try to recreate their first trip together. While there he obsessively has Kari re-enact the events of their first trip ignoring her discomfort. He eventually admits that he no longer is sure he loves her.
Erik's book is published but the publicity tour goes badly, he is met with poor reviews, and Lillian dumps him for being selfish.
After a night out with Erik, Phillip is inspired to write and immediately asks Erik for his thoughts. Erik is honest and tells Phillip it isn't his best work but has potential. Phillip is crushed and criticizes himself as a hack who recycles the work of Dahl and Ulven. After Phillip implies he thinks the same of Erik's novel, Erik angrily leaves. Going to the park he is knocked over by Sten Egil Dahl's dog and awakens in Dahl's home. To his surprise Dahl not only knows who he is but has read his work. While still critical of Erik's novel, Dahl also praises it. This renews Erik's self-confidence and he begins to contemplate leaving Oslo to concentrate on his writing.
Phillip goes to Kari's telemarketing job and tells her that he loves her. When Kari rejects him he collapses on the floor. He is taken back to a psychiatric hospital. Erik goes to visit him but cannot bring himself to meet with him and instead leaves.
Erik imagines a future in which he abruptly leaves for
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, writing a book that creates mixed reviews but draws comparisons with Dahl's work. However his success is upstaged by the surprising literary success of another friend in his social circle, the boorish Henning. In Erik's fantasy Erik returns to
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
for a friend's wedding. He runs into Phillip, who is happy and back with Kari, who is back in school studying psychology.
The day after the wedding Erik and Phillip meet at a café and discuss Dahl's abrupt suicide for unknown reasons. Phillip compliments Erik on his latest novel, which encourages Erik to keep going forward with his third book. Erik asks Phillip if he is still writing and he admits he is unlikely to write again unless inspiration abruptly strikes. Erik imagines a happy Phillip and Kari sitting at the café, playfully teasing each other.
Cast
Reception
Box office
The film grossed approximately $1,297,260 worldwide: $514,013 in the United States and Canada, and $647,579 in other territories—including $491,785 in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
.
Critical response
''Reprise'' received generally positive reviews from Western critics. As of August 23, 2008, the review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reported that 87% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 69 reviews.
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
reported the film had an average score of 78 out of 100, based on 10 reviews.
The film appeared on several critics' lists of the ten best films of 2008:
*5th - Elizabeth Weitzman, ''
New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
''
[
*6th - ]Nathan Rabin
Nathan Rabin (; born April 24, 1976) is an American film and music critic. Rabin was the first head writer for ''The A.V. Club'', a position he held until he left the ''Onion'' organization in 2013. , ''The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
''[
*8th - Keith Phipps, ''The A.V. Club''][
*10th - Andrew O'Hehir, '']Salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
''[
In November 2009, film critics at the Norwegian newspaper '']Verdens Gang
''Verdens Gang'' ("The course of the world"), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, having declined from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. ''VG'' is n ...
'' named ''Reprise'' the best Norwegian film of the decade.
Accolades
*Istanbul International Film Festival
The Istanbul Film Festival ( tr, İstanbul Film Festivali) is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Tu ...
** The Golden Tulip: Best Film
*European Film Festival in Lecce
Lecce ( ); el, label=Griko, Luppìu, script=Latn; la, Lupiae; grc, Λουπίαι, translit=Loupíai), group=pron is a historic city of 95,766 inhabitants (2015) in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Lecce, the province ...
**The Golden Olive: Best Film
**Best Script
* 41st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
**Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
**Don Quijote Prize
*Nordic Film Festival in Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
**Best Film
**Audience Award
*Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
**Discovery Award
* Amanda Award
**Best Film
**Best Direction
**Best Script
''Reprise'' was shown outside of competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
The 2007 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 18 until January 28, 2007, in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah and Ogden, Utah. It was the 23-rd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was '' Chica ...
.
References
External links
*
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{{Eskil Vogt
2006 films
2006 comedy-drama films
2006 directorial debut films
Films about depression
Films about friendship
Films about writers
Films directed by Joachim Trier
Films set in Oslo
Films with screenplays by Eskil Vogt
Norwegian comedy-drama films
Nonlinear narrative films
2000s Norwegian-language films