Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Reprise Blu-ray Movie Review

Reprise is a Norwegian feature-film production. Reprise is the first of three features in the Oslo trilogy by filmmaker Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World). The film was submitted for consideration to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film 2006. Produced by Karin Julsrud, the film was written over the span of five years. Reprise features performances by Anders Danielsen Lie, Espen Klouman Høiner, and Viktoria Winge.

Phillip (Anders Danielsen Lie) and Erik (Espen Klouman Høiner) are lifelong best friends since childhood. The two have spent an enormous amount of time together wrestling with their dreams – the dream of becoming a successful writer. While Erik finds nothing but outright rejection for his own manuscript and has struggled with finding any interest from publishers while getting started, Phillip finds success almost overnight and soon discovers himself living his childhood dream as an adult.

Phillip even begins a romance with the beautiful Kari (Viktoria Winge) after meeting her at a punk rock concert. Sparks fly and romance lingers in the air between the lovebirds. Yet the romantic dream of being a writer doesn’t leave the dreams of Phillip’s friend, Erik – can he make his beautiful dreams become reality?

The performances are essential to the filmmaking. Anders Danielsen Lie and Espen Klouman Høiner deliver strong performances as the central leads of the film. The tale of a writer’s journey and the turbulent ups and downs of looking for success helps to bring out the best in the actors. These performances help to enhance the filmmaking.  Viktoria Winge also impresses as the lead supporting female actor in Reprise and she imbues her part with whimsy and grace.

The production design by Roger Rosenberg (The Worst Person in the World, The Nile Hilton Incident) is noteworthy and works well within the framework of the story. Rosenberg is a talented designer and provides a realistic style for the film. The authenticity of the design work makes the film feel more enveloping.

The costumes by Maria Bohlin (Vinterkyss, Hjem) are true to the characters and manage to feel right at home in the story. The costuming is an excellent part of the production and the sense of authenticity conveyed with the costumes is essential to the essence of the film. A worthwhile effort by Bohlin.

Edited by Olivier Bugge Coutté (The Worst Person in the World, Beginners), Reprise has a solid sense of rhythm. The editing could have been a little tighter in some scenes but the results are still effective at helping to bring out the story. The collaboration between Coutté and Trier would naturally continue with later productions.

The cinematography by Jakob Ihre (Chernobyl, Louder Than Bombs) is one of the highlights of the film. Reprise is visually arresting film at times. The style of the cinematography feels gritty, raw, and real. There are moments where the film even feels documentary-like for a feature-film.

The score composed by Ola Fløttum (The Worst Person in the World, Force Majeure) and Knut Schreiner adds some charm and grace to the filmmaking. The score is somewhat quiet and reserved at times but manages to inject some personality during some key moments in the film. A good score for the film.

Written by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt (The Innocents, Blind), Reprise has a script that feels a bit loose and free-flowing at times. There is a sense of the script not being as polished as one might have hoped for. This is interesting considering the context of how the film was written over the span of five years. Despite the long development process on the screenplay, Reprise is still a compelling tale and one exploring the coming of age of its characters during their early 20s as the characters come to grips with their childhood dreams.

Trier’s Reprise is a good start to the filmmaker’s Oslo trilogy. Though Reprise is not as convincing at times as his two later works (most especially The Worst Person in the World), Reprise is still a solid, entertaining, and thought-provoking film highlighted by many compelling scenes about the writer’s journey and the struggles of being a writer. A worthwhile beginning for the Oslo trilogy and one that fans of Trier should consider seeing.

Reprise Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by MUBI, Reprise is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation looks impressive and naturalistic. The encode is solid and free from any egregious compression woes. The video looks filmic and organic. The cinematography shines on the release. A solid presentation by MUBI.

Reprise Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Norwegian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Norwegian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. English subtitles are provided. The lossless audio sounds crisp, clear, and engaging on the release. The score is well reproduced and adds some nice moments to the experience – making the film more enveloping.

Reprise Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Trilogy Trailer (HD, 00:52)

Reprise Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Reprise is a compelling beginning to the Oslo trilogy by filmmaker Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World). The performances by Anders Danielsen Lie, Espen Klouman Høiner, and Viktoria Winge are an essential part of the experience. The story is a solid one and explores the writer's journey. MUBI has provided a solid video-audio presentation. Recommended.