“I don’t want to be a memory.” Those words resonate in the dark romantic-comedy ‘The Worst Person in the World.’ Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier deconstructs the romcom genre. It is nominated for an international feature film Oscar this year. There is honesty to the script that makes the characters feel so real. The film is reminiscent of French New Wave. The story is structured in 12 chapters with a prologue and epilogue. The film is not linear. It is a bit fragmented. It resembles the messiness that can make up a person’s life. I enjoyed every minute of it and you will too.
Meet Julie (Renate Reinsve). She is stunning. She is smart. She is a millennial in Oslo. We get to follow this vibrant young woman trying to figure out her life. We soon discover that she never seems to know exactly what she wants out of a career or a relationship. She drops out of medical school to study psychology. That pursuit never lasts and she shifts gears to become a photographer. She eventually settles into a job at a bookstore and even dabbles at writing. It seems like she can never find a career that completely fulfills her.
She changes hairstyles and fashion. She dumps a boyfriend. When she meets Askel (Anders Danielsen Lie), we are happy for her. He is older than her and is a successful comic book artist. She moves into his hip apartment. He even gives up closet space for her. Could this be the one? Askel wants kids but Julie is not ready to settle down. Even though she appears to be happy, she is restless. There is always something holding her back from becoming completely fulfilled. It’s as if she does not want to let go of her freedom. The only problem is that she is turning the big 30. When Askel takes her to his friend’s cabin, she seems uncomfortable around their children.
When Julie crashes a wedding party, she is attracted to Eivind (Herbert Nordrum). He is a barista but is also in a relationship. They both promise not to cross the line and cheat that night. The chemistry is strong between them. Instead of hopping in bed, they dance the night away. They sniff each other’s armpits. They piss in front of each other. They never kiss but it is one of the most sensual scenes in film. After they say goodbye and walk their separate ways home, you just know they will meet again. They eventually do meet again. This is bad news for Askel. It is a heartbreaking scene to watch. It feels like Julie is making a big mistake but that’s life. We have to live with the good and bad decisions we make in life.
You cannot help but be drawn to Renate’s performance as Julie. It is difficult not to like her even when she is not being the nicest person. Her character is sometimes aimless and flaky but that is a reflection of the messiness of life. This is a romantic comedy that never shies away from the complexities of life. That is what makes it so refreshing and sobering. It is a bittersweet drama that touches on so many things. Everything she chooses becomes who she is. Finding the right job, finding the right partner, whether to get married and have a baby. These are all challenges everyone has to face in life. It makes ‘The Worst Person in the World’ relatable to audiences and is a must-see film.
