Husband & wife pair of screenwriters (they write separately, they don't collaborate) visit a Swedish island, the home of Ingmar Bergman. It's clear that there are tensions in their relationship, though these are not spelled out. The husband is clearly a worshipper of Bergman, the wife not so much. He goes on a "Bergman safari" she flirts with a young film student.
Then, halfway through, she starts telling him about the story she's writing, and most of the second half of the film is a film within a film. Then cut back to the main film, when she says she can't think of an ending for her project. Then the film and the filmwithin a film start to bleed into each other - then they both just stop, without there being an ending for either of them.
It's not all bad; there are compelling performances throughout, and just enough interest is sustained (in both films) to save things from being a complete mess, but....
Pretentious? Probably - but Bergman would've loved it.
Then, halfway through, she starts telling him about the story she's writing, and most of the second half of the film is a film within a film. Then cut back to the main film, when she says she can't think of an ending for her project. Then the film and the filmwithin a film start to bleed into each other - then they both just stop, without there being an ending for either of them.
It's not all bad; there are compelling performances throughout, and just enough interest is sustained (in both films) to save things from being a complete mess, but....
Pretentious? Probably - but Bergman would've loved it.