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As the midterm season slowly approaches, you are probably trying to find anything to do with your time but prepare for the onslaught of essays and exams that await you. Lucky for you, I am here to recommend a perfect distraction: watch “The Worst Person in The World.”
If you have not yet heard of this Oscar-nominated masterpiece, “The Worst Person In The World” is a Norwegian film, directed by Joachim Trier. The plot follows a woman, Julia, who enters a relationship with an older man and feels her life viscerally come to a tipping point as she enters her 30s. I have nothing less than perfect things to say about this film. For one, it is sectioned into twelve chapters, as well as a prologue and epilogue to familiarize and change the audience’s perception of Julie, respectively. These chapters are presented as almost individual short films with nuanced, beautiful and heartbreaking plotlines of their own. One of these chapters, titled ‘Cheating,’ somehow portrays the entirety of growing accustomed to another person in a romantic relationship all in the span of one night with some of the most intense and intimate dialogue that could be possibly written.
“The Worst Person In The World” not only has some of the best writing that I have ever witnessed — which is only reinforced by the film’s narrator — but also is an extremely visually pleasant experience. There are countless shots where you have no choice but to be awe-struck by the artistry that went into them. Whether it be a gorgeous shot of all of Oslo as Julie runs in a world where time is standing still around her, or Julie simply smoking a cigarette on a balcony with a city view, the attention to detail and aesthetics is present throughout. This is even further emphasized when the film begins subverting its genre numerous times making for an undoubtedly unique viewing experience. The film is clearly self-aware of its presence in cinematic history and every sequence goes the extra mile. These are intense, humorous and sometimes even disturbing psychedelic scenes.
Lastly, the film contributes to a special and unique capacity that foreign films possess: representing the universality of emotion. Like groundbreaking films in the past such as Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite” and Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” “The Worst Person In The World” transcends the barrier of language and culture to explore themes that universally affect the lives of humans. The film takes extra care to explore what it means to be human in this era and how easy it is to feel as if you have nothing figured out and never will. It explores this intimate feeling that you cannot live up to what you think you are capable of, and how that affects your life in the long run. So if you need an activity to do this weekend because you’re bored, need to destress or simply want to experience great art, “The Worst Person In The World” is the experience for you.
“The Worst Person In The World” is currently screening at the Criterion Bowtie Cinema on Temple Street.