Reprise, released in Norway in 1996 and now, two years later, here in the U.S. is nothing new in terms of plot. 20-somethings struggle with artistic ideals and difficult relationships and the slow (sometimes excruciatingly so) realization of dreams unfulfilled.
What this movie lacks in originality of story it makes up for with its commitment to authentic moments of quiet and stillness. The soundtrack is winning, consisting primarily of Joy Division and New Order songs as well as what I assume are Norwegian bands that try to sound like Joy Division and New Order and one great song from Le Tigre. Between all these driving base lines are scenes of pure silence. Sometimes people are talking, with no volume. Sometimes people are just living and not saying a word.
(our protagonists)The story centers on Erik and Philip, aspiring writers at the beginning of the film, both submitting their first novels to a publisher. An unknown narrator walks us through their dreamed outcome, involving just the right amount of ironic failure and underground success and mixing in some scandalous romances and trips to Paris. Flash back to reality. The real story is set when Philip's novel is published, pushing him into a psychotic break and Erik's is rejected, pushing him to write something worthy of his aspirations.
Somehow the movie retains a kind of dry humor and charm, despite the dark themes and watching these men suffer the slings and arrows of not-so-outrageous fortune, one can't help but respect the director's honesty and ability to portray real human drama without overly manipulating his audience with the usual tear-jerking soundtracks or hackneyed scenes of relationships gone bad.
If you have a chance to see this film, I recommend that you do, and if you really can't handle subtitles, well, that's an argument for another time.
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