This is what we're watching: The Worst Man Ever is a heartbreaking Norwegian drama for Hollywood untouched
Miscellaneous / / August 29, 2023
You should watch it at least because of the parting scene.
In this series Articles every week I talk about what films and TV shows struck me. Today we'll talk about Joachim Trier and his little masterpiece.
Sometimes it seems that Norwegian filmmakers are much more passionate about modernity than directors from other countries. They are not afraid to make films about the here and now, about people living ordinary lives. “Hope”, “I'm sick of myself”, “Made in Oslo” confirm this trend, and “The Worst Man in the World” by Joakim Trier is the epitome and flagship of the trend.
The main character Julia lives in Oslo and tries to find a place in life. She changes professions, hobbies, men. And as soon as it seems to her that she has discovered something "her own", everything begins to crumble.
The Worst Man in the World has no plot in the usual sense - it's just four years in the life of a girl. But it is the routine, the simplicity of the problems that make the picture such a strong drama. Screenwriter Eskil Vogt does not invent anything. He ignores the dramaturgy of Hollywood, blurring the causes of problems and ignoring the search for a one hundred percent solution.
"The Worst Man in the World" also looks like a powerful response to pop psychology and "conscious" people. Even understanding and accepting herself and her problems, the heroine is not able to solve them. Here the picture of Joachim Trier intersects with "Scenes from married life”, except that there are fewer dialogues.
The Worst Man features one of the best breakup scenes ever filmed: detailed, heartbreaking, yet utterly realistic. Perhaps, the film could be watched at least because of her.
Of course, the title of the film is too provocative. Julia's bad deeds are not something incredible or cruel. She hurts others not because she is bad, it just doesn’t work out otherwise. By the end, you can decide that if Julia is really the worst person in the world, then the viewer shares this title with her.
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