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| Movie Review: Reprise Alternate Title: The Incredible Heaviness of Scandinavia
Story: Some foreign films translate
to an American audience's mind set better than others. This award winning
Norwegian film directed and co-written by Joachim Trier
expresses the traditional Scandinavian traits such as depression, ennui,
suicide attempts, isolation, self-destruction and angst. These traits
are not what you usually find in a Hollywood blockbuster, eh?
That said, there are some fine things to admire
in this import that all lovers of film can enjoy. The first 10 minutes
of the film are amazing. We meet our two protagonists at a mailbox as
they are about to post their brilliant novels to publishers. We experience
in a vignette what might have happened if all went well for the two
of them. The remainder of the film explores what actually happened to
the two young men after this meeting at the mailbox.
The film surveys the rocky road of celebrity
as one of the young men hits it big and the other has to struggle the
long road towards creating art. The film is about those youthful, sweet
years when all things are possible and the gradual reality of life intruding
on those dreams. Acting: Espen Klouman-Høiner and Anders
Danielsen Lie are superlative as the two young men. The rest
of the cast is also fine including: Viktoria Winge, Henrik Elvestad,
Christian Rubeck, Odd Magnus Williamson, Rebekka Karijord, Henrik Mestad,
Pål Stokka, Sigmund Sæverud
Predilection: None
Critters: A dog with one of the cameos that made
me laugh.
Food: With all of that angst there was not much time
for slow dining.
Sex Spectrum: A sex scene with not much passion.
Soundtrack: Some loud tunes.
Visual Art: The film is stark and cold and my memory
is in Black and White.
Theater Audience: About 10 other aficionados of foreign
films at the Sunshine Theater.
Weather: It was fine in Oslo
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: The suicide attempt is squirmy.
Drift Factor: I did not drift at all.
Predictability Level: I had absolutely no idea where
this film was headed.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No - although it won a bunch of awards
in Norway.
Big Screen or Rental: If you want to see it on the
big screen I have a feeling you need to hustle before it evolves into
CD form.
Length: 110 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 7 |