THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD

Norway, 2021, 127 minutes, Colour.

Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielson I, Maria Grazia di Meo, Herbert Nordrum, Hans Olav Brenner.

Directed by Joachim Trier.

Norway’s nomination for Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Renate Reinsve won the award for Best Actress at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. The film has received general acclaim.

It is very much a film for audiences in their 20s, 30s, 40s. Younger audiences will probably not identify with characters and situations. Older audiences will look back, sometimes with regrets, sometimes with irritation at the character of Julie, her life and choices.

Julie is not the worst person in the world. She is certainly not the best person in the world. But, as we go through the situations with her, she could certainly improve. The film is divided into 12 chapters with the prologue and epilogue – and the heading of one of the chapters includes the word narcissistic. Julie is self-absorbed, flits from one occupation to another, plunges headlong into a relationship and tires of it before she explains the reasons for breakup. She really doesn’t want to marry. She doesn’t want to have children. She is satisfied with coasting along, initially happy in relationships, then, not necessarily unhappy, but distracted into a new relationship.

The setting is the city of Oslo, plenty of views to make the audience feel at home or interested in a visit there.

Julie is supported by her mother, alienated from her father, studying surgery, then on a whim deciding on psychology, then in flighty mode deciding on photography. She does continue to take photographs but works in a bookstore.

At a social, she is attracted by Aksel (a very sympathetic portrayal by Anders Danielson Lie), who creates graphic comics, a disrespectful but cheeky character, Bobcat, who is being adapted for the movies, Aksel not satisfied. He is in his 40s, has a desire for children, while Julie is 29 and still freewheeling. The couple do have some intimate moments but not enough to contain Julie’s roving eye, attracted to a young man who serves coffee and a bar, Eivind (Herbert Nordrum). For him the relationship is important. For a time Julie thinks it is but it is really only just a step to the next relationship, her wounding the feelings of both Aksel and Eivind in her seeming carelessness.

The film does express some hope in Julie and her future, most movingly in some final sequences where she goes to meet Aksel in hospital, is moved by his illness, remembers their past intimacy, has regrets.

But, since Julie is entering her 30s, her life before her, her mistakes behind her, the audience is left to wonder what kind of life she will have, not the worst person in the world, and certainly not the best.

1. The title? As applied to Julie? Not the worst, not the best? Her qualities, her flaws?
2. The film as a portrait of Julie, prologue, 12 chapters, epilogue?
3. Julie, her age, the background of her mother support, alienation from her father (and her image of him in her mushroom induced dream)? Intellectual abilities, talent? Studying surgery and her presence during an operation, the shift to psychology and going to classes (and condemning the students having food disorders), buying the camera, photos, getting her job in the bookshop?
4. The social, the encounter with Aksel, talking, his personality, in his 40s, his family background, achievement, living alone, past relationships, his drawing the graphic comics, his character, Bobcat, and the later visualising of the animation, Aksel’s disapproval of the film version?
5. Aksel taking her to his relatives and friends, her being bored, playing with the children, the wife and the discussion and tantrums? Later meetings with them? And the husband finally giving her the information about Aksel’s illness?
6. Julie moving in, the relationship, their discussions, the difference in ages, Aksel and settling down, need for family? Julie, restless, not wanting children? The depth of the relationship? Yet her roving eye, seeing Eivind, talking, the attraction, his returning to the bookshop for his glasses, later meetings, is serving coffee (and Julie is later talked about this and his being hurt)?
7. Julie, moving out, explanations to Aksel, not telling the truth, later admitting the truth to him? Moving in with Eivind? The nature of the relationship? Intimacy?
8. Eivind, his girlfriend, yoga, the photos, the trek in the mountains, the social causes, her campaigns? Julie ridiculing the photos?
9. The news of Aksel’s illness, going to see him, his condition, his frankness, reminiscing about the relationship, the effect on Julie? His memories of happiness? Of the conversations? The news of his death?
10. Julie, the possibility of pregnancy, the photographing the scene with the actress who resembled her? Looking at the window at the event and his pregnant girlfriend?
11. Into her 30s? Her future? Not necessarily the worst person, nor the best?