Best friends forever?
We follow two friends who both dream of becoming authors. One of them gets his breakthrough. But suddenly he hits the wall, and he struggles with mental health issues. He hurts himself, and he’s admitted to a psychiatric hospital. After a stay there, he’s released, and his best friend is waiting for him. He tries to support his mentally ill friend. But it’s not always easy to support a person who has mood swings, and he still dreams of having a book published.
Reprise was the directorial debut of Joachim Trier, who has directed movies such as Oslo on August 31, Louder Than Bombs, and Thelma. He’s regarded as one of the best movie directors in Norway.
This is a fun, touching, and serious movie about friendship and love. What happens to Phillip can happen to all of us. Everybody can get mental problems. In the beginning, Phillip has the future ahead of him, but then the darkness visits him.
This isn’t a movie that feeds the viewers with a teaspoon which can annoy some viewers. There are a lot of interesting things going on here, and it feels like you are hanging out with your best friends. But the movie never dives deep into the characters’ minds. And a movie doesn’t always need to do that if you, as a viewer, have some life experience.
That’s what’s great about Reprise where we follow two best friends who share the same dream. But when one becomes mentally ill, we see his friend trying to support him and be there for him. But he also gets enough when the best friend becomes a distressing factor in his life. And it doesn’t help that his mentally ill friend gets obsessed with his former girlfriend. He also gives his best friend the cold shoulder when he’s there for him. So now he has to continue his journey alone, and maybe he will get his book published.
Reprise is a movie that has charm. At the same time, it’s also a sad movie that I wish could have ended differently. I wasn’t happy with the ending. I expected a dark ending where all hope is out. It’s great for the character, but not great for my overall experience.
Reprise is a solid movie. The visual style, the storytelling, and the soundtrack are brilliant. The actors are solid, and they deliver solid role interpretations. I’ve seen the movie twice now, and I love spending time with this group of friends. I don’t want to call Reprise a deep movie, because most of the characters we meet don’t have many layers. But it feels like you’re back a few decades and hanging out with your friends, and some have a darker past.
