The chronicles of four years in the life of a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is. A film by Joachim Trier, starring Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Hans Olav Brenner, Vidar Sandem, Lasse Gretland, Karen Røise Kielland, Marianne Krogh, Thea Stabell, Jonathan Nielssen, Martin Gran, Helene Bjørneby, Olav Stubberud, Maria Grazia Di Meo, and Herbert Nordrum.
VERDENS VERSTE MENNESKE
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
Joachim Trier
(2021)
Julie (Renate Reinsve) struggles to figure out what she’s passionate about. In college, she enrolls in medical school just because it’s hard to get into. But once she realizes she cares more about the soul and people’s inner feelings than the human body itself, she transfers to psychology.
But over time, she realizes she’s drawn to beautiful images. So she drops out of university and enrolls in a photography course, spending her student loan money on a camera and lenses. To make ends meet, she takes a job at a bookstore. She meets various people along the way, but never commits to anyone seriously. She’s always the one who ends things first.
That changes when she meets Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie), a cartoonist in his forties, while Julie hasn’t even turned thirty yet. Given their age difference and his more extensive life experience, Aksel reasons that they shouldn’t keep seeing each other because it will only lead to pain for both of them down the road. But ironically, that’s precisely what makes her fall in love with him.
Cracks start to form in their relationship when Aksel wants children, while Julie still feels uncertain about so many things in her life. The one thing she is sure about is that she’s not ready to have kids right now. And she can’t give Aksel an answer about when, or even if, she’ll ever be ready to start a family with him.
One evening after attending the launch party for Aksel’s new book, Julie feels small compared to his celebrity status while she’s merely a bookstore clerk. Later, she sneaks into a party where she wasn’t invited and meets Eivind (Herbert Nordrum). Despite both being in relationships, they feel drawn to each other. This is one of my favorite scenes, as the two of them playfully debate where exactly the line is between flirting and cheating. When the party ends, they go their separate ways, knowing only each other’s first names.
Directed by Danish-Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier from a screenplay he cowrote with Eskil Vogt, VERDENS VERSTE MENNESKE is a romantic comedy-drama that leans much more toward drama than comedy. I absolutely love the first part. Renate Reinsve is perfect for this role. Her smile is incredibly bright and infectious. The writing is wonderful, but the ending is almost cruelly devastating. Every scene is gorgeously shot. I particularly love the use of mirror reflections and the light switch technique where everything freezes in time. It isn’t a new technique, but it fits that moment perfectly.
While watching, I feel like the man playing Aksel looks familiar. His performance is exceptional, even surpassing the lead actress. Just the expression in his eyes alone conveys so much depth. I end up pulling up IMDb to figure out where I’ve seen him before. It turns out Anders Danielsen Lie played the lead in the French zombie movie LA NUIT A DÉVORÉ LE MONDE. I initially assumed he was French, but he’s actually Norwegian. That’s not all. He also starred in Reprise (2006) and OSLO, AUGUST 31ST (2011), both directed by Joachim Trier, the Norwegian director behind this film. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely need to track those down and watch them. Renate Reinsve has also worked with Joachim Trier before in OSLO, AUGUST 31ST (2011), where she played a minor role with only one line of dialogue.
Jeg elsker deg.
Men jeg elsker deg ikke.
VERDENS VERSTE MENNESKE premiered at Festival de Cannes on 7 July 2021 where Renate Reinsve won Prix d’interprétation féminine (Best Actress).
The film was theatrically released in Norway on 15 October 2021, and in the United States on 4 February 2022 under the English title THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD.
