Reprise |
Joachim Trier’s accomplished feature debut opens with two friends, Philip (Anders Danielsen Lie) and Erik (Espen Klouman-Høiner), submitting their manuscripts to publishers. Philip’s work is accepted, and that sends the suddenly popular author into a tailspin and, eventually, a nervous breakdown. He spends the film — which lurches forward and backward in time, illustrating possible causes and effects with giddy ease — trying to regain his artistic impulse and reignite the passionate love affair that triggered it. The even-keeled Erik fares slightly better, and their different temperaments and artistic passions fuel the story. Trier captures the moment when the recklessness of youth gives way to adult responsibilities, and the way childhood friendships can fall apart when different paths are taken. Bucking the Hollywood trend of depicting guys in their 20s as idiotic buffoons, he navigates his characters’ careers and relationships with a grace and accuracy that border on transcendence. Norwegian | 105 minutes | Kendall Square
