Sunday, March 20, 2022

The Worst Person in the World (2021, R)

And we have a third international feature showing up on the board outside of its designated category! Way to go to this Norwegian film for snagging a Best Original Screenplay nomination. An interesting, well-acted character study that offers a strong resonance for anyone who’s experienced a quarter-life crisis.

Julie doesn’t know what she wants. It started in college, when she switched from med school to psychology to photography, and it crops up in her romantic life as well. The people around her all seeming to be “growing up,” and she wants to join them but isn’t sure how.

That summary is pretty short, but it’s kind of a loose story, letting us tag along on Julie’s journey to find herself. It can meander and twist around on itself, much like the life of a 20-something, and as you may have guessed from the title, it’s not afraid to let Julie make some bad, selfish choices that hurt other people. But even though the narrative wanders, it does an excellent job of conveying the rudderless feeling of leaving early adulthood, the awkward cringing of people at social events asking, “So what do you do?” and the regular interrogation about when you’re having kids. I love the scene at her 30th birthday, where she mentally runs through what her entire matrilineal line had accomplished by the time they reached her age. Julie’s a messy person who sometimes tries her best, sometimes runs from her problems, and sometimes blows up a good thing, but she makes sense within her contradictions.

It’s by turns funny and cringeworthy, relatable and thought-provoking. The film is a fine character study, anchored by Renate Reinsve’s layered performance as Julie. I really enjoy watching her try to figure herself out, even when it’s painful. The other characters are lightly drawn but feel well lived-in, especially prospective love interests Aksel and Eivind (well-played by Anders Danielsen Lie and Herbert Nordrum, respectively.)

Another thing I like about the film is its messy, inconsistent politics. It reminds me a little of Everything Will Be Fine in that way. A number of the characters have strong opinions but frequently lack in their follow-through. When an already-half-smitten Julie meets comic-book artist Aksel, she pretends to be a fan of his sexist edgelord comic. Eivind is very concerned about climate change but can feel crushed under the weight of responsibility to make the most sustainable choices. It’s an effective way for the film to have “something to say” without feeling didactic or preachy.

Warnings

Sexual content, language (including sexist slurs,) drinking/smoking/drug use, some gross-out content, and thematic elements.

 

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