Certain films are very difficult to review. One such type, is a very well made film in which you absolutely hate the protagonist- and that dislike may or may not be what you are meant to feel in the directors eyes. "The Worst Person In the World" is exactly that kind of experience for me. I was not reminded of "Annie Hall", as were many, but rather imagine John Schlesinger's "Darling" if Diana Scott had no ambition or even, perhaps, a if Lewis Gilbert's "Alfie" with no balls (to at least own his bad behavior in the end).
Julie (as in Julie Christie?) is an unrepentant narcissist who may seem to some to be wandering aimlessly through her late twenties/early thirties. She lives by the seat of her pants- first jumping from major to major in college and then from man to man. The film settles on two relationships in particular to follow. But Julie is not totally aimless, she makes choices based on her own level of priority. When she feels insecure in some way- she moves on. Not cutting it in Med school? Try Psychology. Boyfriend's getting so famous that no one notices you? Flee the party and crash a wedding in which you pretend to be someone important (a Doctor) so you can lecture others on child rearing.
I wish I could say that as she gets older she gains insight- unfortunately, after leaving the "famous" boyfriend for the "barista" one she finds herself pregnant. Upon hearing that Aksel, the famous on, is dying of an incurable disease she feels she must go to him. She must go to him-while he is near death and ask him to help her with HER problem. Never mind he is pain, never mind he wanted desperately to have a baby with her, it's all about her problem. I thought it was one of the cruelest scenes I'd ever seen- but Renate Reinsve plays it like an innocent babe. Her great performance is something to behold- she's so good that many viewers seem to think she's a good person.
The movie cuts her a major break by giving her a miscarriage- where we all knew what the fate of that baby was going to be. When Aksel tells her she would be a "great mother" I almost choked. Just because someone is dying doesn't necessarily give them any special knowledge of the truth-perhaps he loved her, so it's possible he believed this- but he was also pretty smart.
This, therefore is my dilemma . If the film is, indeed, about a totally self absorbed woman who's life is skipping past her while she remains in a perpetual adolescence- then I say add two stars to make it an eight out of ten. Maybe it's a generational thing. Young people seem to find this funny- I'm not exactly sure what was funny. They also see her as "loving"-perhaps that's what passes for love these days. I just thought the title was meant sarcastically- but ,at least when I was 30 ,she would've been a contender.
Julie (as in Julie Christie?) is an unrepentant narcissist who may seem to some to be wandering aimlessly through her late twenties/early thirties. She lives by the seat of her pants- first jumping from major to major in college and then from man to man. The film settles on two relationships in particular to follow. But Julie is not totally aimless, she makes choices based on her own level of priority. When she feels insecure in some way- she moves on. Not cutting it in Med school? Try Psychology. Boyfriend's getting so famous that no one notices you? Flee the party and crash a wedding in which you pretend to be someone important (a Doctor) so you can lecture others on child rearing.
I wish I could say that as she gets older she gains insight- unfortunately, after leaving the "famous" boyfriend for the "barista" one she finds herself pregnant. Upon hearing that Aksel, the famous on, is dying of an incurable disease she feels she must go to him. She must go to him-while he is near death and ask him to help her with HER problem. Never mind he is pain, never mind he wanted desperately to have a baby with her, it's all about her problem. I thought it was one of the cruelest scenes I'd ever seen- but Renate Reinsve plays it like an innocent babe. Her great performance is something to behold- she's so good that many viewers seem to think she's a good person.
The movie cuts her a major break by giving her a miscarriage- where we all knew what the fate of that baby was going to be. When Aksel tells her she would be a "great mother" I almost choked. Just because someone is dying doesn't necessarily give them any special knowledge of the truth-perhaps he loved her, so it's possible he believed this- but he was also pretty smart.
This, therefore is my dilemma . If the film is, indeed, about a totally self absorbed woman who's life is skipping past her while she remains in a perpetual adolescence- then I say add two stars to make it an eight out of ten. Maybe it's a generational thing. Young people seem to find this funny- I'm not exactly sure what was funny. They also see her as "loving"-perhaps that's what passes for love these days. I just thought the title was meant sarcastically- but ,at least when I was 30 ,she would've been a contender.