Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World review: An instant classic
Director Joachim Trier rounds out his Oslo Trilogy, which began with 2006’s Reprise and continued with 2011 Cannes favourite Oslo, August 31st. For this final chapter, Trier has chosen a romantic comedy, one of the more challenging film genres with all its tropes and cliches to avoid. Yet, by subverting all of those conventions he has made one of the most original movies of the year.
Renate Riensve plays Julie, a twenty-something who never seems to know which path to take. Skipping from one career to the next, and going through relationships just as quickly, her road to happiness seems blocked by the feeling that the grass is always greener on the other side.
Under Trier’s direction, this familiar set up becomes something human and relatable. Julie is flawed but in a way that isn’t played for laughs, but rather to understand the messiness of life and love. In one moment, she is asked by a new lover whether she is aware that what she is about to do will “destroy” her current relationship. With wide eyes, and an earnest, uncomfortable grin, she replies “yes, of course”. The character is not an idealised heroine, but a portrait of human frailty that is both funny and understandable.
Superbly matched with Riensve is Anders Danielson Lie as Aksel, a comic artist who is perfectly suited to Julie, but pushed away thanks to her restlessness. Aksel has his own problems, but then who doesn’t? Despite the title, Trier is not in the business of judgment. The filmmaker objectively views every twist and turn, acknowledging that it’s difficult for a generation where anything is possible.
The Worst Person In The World is a thoughtful, expressive take on young adulthood, made all the more surprising when framed through a genre that has a well-known blueprint. Expect to see more from Riensve in the future, and for this breakthrough role to become a cult favourite in many an arthouse cinema for years to come.