If Charlie Kaufman, the French New Wave and Family Guy had a baby, it might look something like Reprise, Joachim Trier’s playfully structured first feature. Trier isn’t afraid to be different. American mainstream cinema audiences have had the classic three-act film structure beaten into them so thoroughly they are fully in submission.
This story about two struggling writers doesn’t stick to a traditional narrative, jumps around in time, is prone to flashbacks and often doesn’t employ any transitions or score.
Phillip (Anders Danielsen Lie, Herman) and Erik (Espen Klouman-Hoiner, Switch) are best friends and fellow novelists. Phillip’s first novel is a success, but afterward, he tumbles into depression. On the other hand, Erik’s first novel is a mild failure, yet he seems more inclined to write again. Both men’s creative struggles filter into their personal lives as they try to write another novel.
Write/director Trier (along with co-writer, Eskil Vogt, also a first time feature writer) is very loose with his narrative – the film is fairly unpredictable. Reprise opens with Erik and Phillip standing in front of a mailbox, ready to mail out their first manuscript. A narrator then tells the audience what was supposed to happen: “The book would have triggered a revolution in East Africa, disillusioned the Dalai Lama,” and so on. Of course this isn’t what happens; only Phillip’s manuscript is initially accepted and definitely without such an earth-shattering reception.
The often humorous narration runs throughout the film, as does a Family Guy-esque tendency for comical flashback. In typical Peter Griffin fashion, Erik says, “The last time I was mean … ” and we flashback to some long ago story.
Some of the dialogue is very funny, particularly among Erik and Phillip’s group of friends. One of them headlines a band whose hit song is, “Fingerf—ed by the Prime Minister.” These characters are welcome comic relief after spending so much time with the depressed lead writers.
The real issue with Reprise is actually stated in the film by Erik after reading a manuscript Phillip wrote feverishly over one night. Erik says, “There’s something here, but it’s all so disjointed.” The comment applies to the overall film. It’s so random, it is hard to connect to the story and characters for some time, because there isn’t really a clear storyline to follow.
A sustained 20 minutes or so when Phillip obsessively tries to recreate a trip to Paris with his ex-girlfriend is the highlight of the film. This is probably the only sequence in the film with a focused idea. It doesn’t hop around to another storyline, flashback or employ comical narration. By concentrating on one idea and not letting his playful streak run wild, Trier creates a heartfelt and very sad vignette, one which could stand on its own as a short film.
Clearly there is talent at work here. The film is tremendously creative with vivid characters and good dialogue. But it’s not disciplined enough to stick to its own story in a consistent way, which makes it drag for long stretches in the first half, as the audience doesn’t really care about the characters until well into the film.
The actors are all very good, particularly Lie. As Phillip gradually loses his marbles, Lie always conveys something isn’t quite right underneath the surface.
If Trier had stuck to some semblance of a straight narrative, ever slightly more than he does here, the film could have worked. But for all its film whimsy, Reprise can’t make us care about its characters until halfway through its runtime – a major problem.
And while the dogmatic three-act structure of American Hollywood films such as the recent blockbuster Iron Man may feel suffocating sometimes, there’s a reason why it has proven so effective. Give Trier credit for doing something different – he damn near pulls it off – but maybe just a smidge more of some classic structure might have let him make a great film.
dan.benamor@gmail.com
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
