Writer's block
A coming-of-age film for the rest of us
Reprise
Directed by Joachim Trier
Starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Espen Klouman-Høiner
and Viktoria Winge
Rated R
O8O
Goes well with: Pollock,
Vincent and Theo, Birdy
Writing is hard work. The process itself is challenging and often maddeningly frustrating, and the only true validation of your effort comes when someone else reads—and responds—to it. Every writer takes those responses personally, be they expressions of praise, damnation or indifference. But regardless of the sentiment, it has an impact on a smart writer’s work—or, in the case of the smart new film Reprise, the writer himself.
Ironically, most films about writing and writers usually aren’t well-written. But Reprise, the new one from Norwegian director Joachim Trier, most certainly is. This is a sensitive, intelligent movie that’s as much about the search for self-identity as it is the expression of art. It’s an empathetic examination of the nature of talent. Trier, who also co-wrote the film, is a two-time national skateboard champion, which perhaps explains why he’s able to come up with a very grown-up view of people still growing up, the sort of perspective that can only be expressed by someone who remains close to the experience.
Phillip (Anders Danielsen Lie) and Erik (Espen Klouman-Høiner) are lifelong friends and aspiring authors. Reprise opens with the two of them dropping their first manuscripts in the mail, both hoping to be published, both imagining what their lives could, would or should be like if things work out. But nothing works out the way we picture it. Erik’s novel is rejected, while Phillip finds some fame as a minor literary sensation, just enough to trigger a fairly major breakdown. As Erik pecks away at his own work, Phillip just tries to put his life back together, and both of them struggle to sort out exactly who they are and who they want to be.
That sounds heavy, sure. And sometimes it is, but Reprise also feels light and subtle. It’s very much like a piece of art itself, as confident and assured a work as Trier’s characters wish they could write. Artistically, Trier has achieved a level of success by creating characters who can’t even sort out their own definition of success. Is it fame or wealth? Self-satisfaction? Happiness? It’s a definition that will be different for each individual, but it’s also a concept that develops over a lifetime, and when you’re just coming into who you are, when you’re still not sure what you might be when you grow up, you may feel differently about things than you do in just a few years.
Erik and Phillip, their cronies and their girlfriends—especially Kari (Viktoria Winge), Phillip’s girlfriend, who is trying to help him back to a normal life—all feel real and familiar. Sure, they live in Oslo and speak Norwegian, but the beauty of Reprise is that it could take place in any urban area, with you and your friends, even the moments that feel a bit pretentious. These are kids who were weaned on punk rock and intense literature and who now cover their tattoos to run ad agencies or who have always been virulently anti-girlfriend until the right girl came along. It’s smartly made, often very funny and painfully tragic at the same time. If it isn’t always easy to watch or experience, it’s because growing up isn’t always so easy, and the struggle to work out precisely who you are and what you want to do is a lifelong endeavor. Reprise works so well because it’s a coming-of-age film that recognizes that none of us ever truly come of age.
Write to anders@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.
Published: 06/03/2008
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