Reprise

This is the first Norwegian film I think I've ever seen. I think I liked it.

Reprise tells the story of two friends who are both trying to get their manuscripts published at the same time. You'd think this would be a typical story of jealousy or something like that, but the one who got his work published ends up in a mental institution for six months while the one who went unpublished tries to help his friend after the former's release (a bulk of the film focuses on what happens after the release from the institution). Kudos for not being a hackneyed storyline.

Something unique here is that the film begins with an unknown narrator telling the story of "what would have happened" if both friends had been published simultaneously... then, fade to black, and the real story unfolds. At the film's end, the same thing [narration] happens about how the story "would have" ended and... then it ends. At first I found this frustrating, but the more I've let the movie simmer in the back of my mind, the more I find it a fitting ending. (Sidenote: the word for "stop" in Norwegian is "slutt" which flashes on the screen at the film's end ... just don't be offended and/or confused when that happens :)

Well acted, well directed, and an interesting story to boot.

Final Grade: B
Blurb: This isn't an easy movie to watch and it's not filled with puppy dogs and rainbows, but if you want a relational drama--with subtitles--then you might rent Reprise.