February Movie Pick: 'The Worst Person in the World'
Throughout the movie, we follow Julie from her early twenties to her early thirties as she navigates some, I would say, pretty normal crossroads—switching career paths, partners, and locations. I feel like in the last ten years of my life, I've done much the same as her, and I was able to connect with her inner struggle. So, for me, she never became unsympathetic, even though in a few of her conversations, she acted like a complete bitch. But who hasn't, ladies and gentlemen, who hasn't? Thus, the title remains a small mystery yet to be resolved.
The first time I was impressed by the movie was when Julie left her husband's party and observed the city from above. Her eyes welled with tears, and I'd like to believe that her inner turmoil was left unexplained in that moment. Wouldn't it be brilliant if, as she walked alone during sunset to the wedding of complete strangers, feeling so sad and crying, we didn't quite know why? Perhaps the purpose of that scene was to open us up to projecting our own inner struggles and sadness onto her, allowing us to discover what was bothering us. Even if it wasn't constructed as I wished, it still did the job right. Looking back at the movie, I could probably understand more clearly what was happening—that she never felt in her place, diving into a serious relationship without knowing what she was getting into or where it was going. Yes, but isn't all art actually demanding a little projection from our part? It's like a two-way street where some sort of communication has to happen, openness.
The second time I was struck was not long after, when she found herself at the stranger's wedding, having a good night and finding another connection. After a weird interaction that completely made me fall in love with her crazy yet absolutely normal character, the guy whispered something in her ear, and I thought to myself, 'Is that one more of those moments where we project something?' Yes and no. There's a brief moment where you can imagine what he whispered, and then boom, he wanted to pee in front of her and see her peeing and farting. What a lovely couple. No, really, this weird-as-hell real interaction that broke so many barriers for a couple of hours is what I'm doing with the next guy.
The time stop was like a power that I now wish to have.
For a while, I wasn't feeling the first guy, Aksel, who initially rejected her before they fell in love. But after seeing him stand up for her in front of her pathetic father, I just fell in love with him. Joking about his prostate was hilarious. And after he won me over, which isn't so easy, she broke him. One could say that she got back at him for rejecting her by injecting similar words in the breakup. There was power emanating from her body as she obliterated the relationship. The breakup was painful and reminded me of a real separation from someone you love. I felt really bad for this guy and for her as well because both of them were an absolute blast, but that wasn't enough to keep them together. When she left him alone and naked behind, I'm still thinking about it.
Now, I realize the similarities between this movie and 'Poor Things'. With the exception of some creative choices and, of course, the magic mushroom trip, 'The Worst Person in the World' covers the same territory but in a different way. The emancipation of the character here and the search for oneself, finding oneself in the craziness, is done more down-to-earth than in 'Poor Things'. Here, the search is more raw; we dive into it, and every beat of the movie feels realistically portrayed. Even though in 'Poor Things' Emma Stone made everything easily recognizable, the visual delivery as a whole was way more abstract. Renate Reinsve playing Julie was the engine for this movie's success; her natural likeness and ease made this story intriguing and relatable.
This movie tackles so many subjects and even manages to take a new, interesting, and honest look at death. When her ex Aksel was dying, he explained that going back in the past is not simple melancholy; going back is the only life he will get because there is no future. I'm surprised that these actors were never nominated for these roles. The way Anders Danielsen Lie explained his fears, hopes, and craving for living deserves an Academy Award. This movie didn't need to go so hard, but they did it, smoothly. The problems both had to deal with at that time were so different and so serious. He was about to die, and she was about to give birth to a child. I love how they matched those two as somehow equal. The only thing that bothered me is that Aksel wanted kids with her, and she was complaining that she is pregnant in front of him while he was dying. But I'll allow it because it seemed real, and they keep this ongoing honesty between them. Walking the whole night while he was about to die just broke my heart.
Herbert Nordrum was also great in showing his multiple sides in a performance that I will remember as making me understand heterosexuals a little bit more. I love cuckoo crazy and honest, and even though he lacked ambition and ultimately was dumped because of that, I felt for him. And in the end, seeing him with kids and his new life was like the good turn of events that we needed in this movie.
Lately, I've been impressed by European cinema, and I'm open to more journeys like this one.
Iliya Badev
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