Julie is such a human in her 20s. Deciding what she wants and doesn't want and then getting conflicted over it all, the overarching question being what does it even mean to want a thing or a person. This is displayed so 'breezy yet carefully' in the film - her not wanting a baby but then getting pregnant with the guy who didn't want kids, the trauma of a dismissive father playing into loving a much older man, wanting to cheat despite being in a happy relationship, and finally, the absolute truth of how death can strike without you having figured out what life is about.
That's all I have. I spent my life doing that, collecting all that stuff, comics, books...And... I just continued, even when it stopped giving me the powerful emotions I felt in my early twenties, I continued anyway. And... now it's all I have left, Knowledge and memories of stupid, futile things nobody cares about. In recent years. I reached a point in life when suddenly...It just happened. When...I began to worship what had been. And now I have nothing else. I have no future. If I regret one thing, it's that I never managed to make you see how wonderful you are. I wasted so much time worrying about what could go wrong, but what did go wrong, was never the things I worried about. You were the most important relationship in my life. You don't have to say anything. I know it's not the same for you. That's normal. But I know, I feel it. And I want you to know. You were the love of my life.
I just watched it on the movies a few hours ago and I'm quite struck by the existential aspect of the movie. I think it also brings so many interesting things to be explored that anyone can relate to. Loved your review!
I watched this film a few hours ago. It is a wonderful film in terms of poignant storytelling,raw human interaction and evocative cinematography and colour grading. Had I been in a different phase of my life maybe I would have perceived it differently but currently I felt apprehensive and skeptical about my life especially with Julie's character and what she did to Aksel. I am 30 year old indian man. Never had a girlfriend nor a meaningful interaction with the opposite sex.. But I always liked the notion of love portrayed in western films and still hopelessly want such romance in my life with some Indian touch of course. Currently my family is looking for a potential bride for me. After watching the film I am wondering what if they find me someone like Julie who is beautiful honest and a wonderful human being but doesn't possess the ability to compromise or doesn't want to put much effort into making a relationship work .She just leaves, runs away from one relationship to the other. She should have understood no relationship in the world can tick all the boxes. You have to weigh the good with the bad. But if you just dump the person at the slightest of inconvenience you put not only you but your partner in a situation of life long grief and trauma and that is what happened to Aksel and I don't want to end up like him 😔
I loved this film so much and you did this so much justice, you helped me understand why I loved it so much and you also opened my eyes at what is going so wrong for me at the moment... decision paralysis is the death of life.
Omg this is a glorious review. I love your thoughts on this and how you broke it down. This film is easily my favorite film of 22' already and it was so relatable and honest and warm and tragic all at the same time. Such a beautiful beautiful. It's one of those rare films that I wish I could've written cause it ticks all my interests. Im so excited for your next review! I'm definitely a huge fan of yours now!
This is by far the best review I've seen of this film. I think you really get to the heart of what it's about, which, for me, is Life :-) And, actually, thinking about your youtube name (assuming it's a nod to _Kafka on the Shore_ ) the film resembles a Murakami story; he famously writes not knowing what's going to happen next, letting his character wander through life, exactly the way Renate Reinsve described her approach to her character.
Do you even know what love is? To be in love with someone is to become that person. When you become someone you will not think of leaving coz it will sound weird and impossible even. To confuse Love with attraction is strange.
The Worst Person in the World is my favorite movie of the year. I don't know if you have gotten to watch Oslo, August 31st yet but it's so good because of its honesty on the emotions of the topic that the film covers.
Wow me too! And the crazy thing was, I rewatched How To Be Single (it’s one of my comfort movies) the day before I watched The Worst Person In The World. I did not mean to watch them in such rapid succession, but such a coincidence that I did. :)
It's about an aimless woman trying to find meaning to her life , through love stories that she just fails in the end because she is so unsure what she wants in the first place. But and that's a big but , what was the purpose of all of this ?? Is it about life ?? Is it a character study ?? I don't know what to think of it . Maybe it's about growing up in a fast moving world associated with social media and fake realtionships more than anything . Because i do think that julie is the modern day equivalent of an adolescent. An adolescent about to hit 30's . An adolescent going through modern day life where feminism and feminists have to have control over everything . Like how they attacked Axel , a traditional man at heart and a groundbreaking cartoonist , who happened to cross the line a few times , with comics that hurt their pride . Maybe the whole movie is about modern day societies, where social media always drags us to think about the perfect realtionship and the perfect job . Where enough is just not enough anymore . Where men and women roles are reversed or equal that men and women alike are tangled in a never ending existential crisis looking for satisfaction and fulfilling their new roles .
Actually I think the "shared smoking" scene looks pretty cool- while actually being disgusting when you think about it- kind of like Julie. Simple test- switch genders in this film and everyone would think "this guy is a shit".
I though she was shit to people at times. It was good because it was frustrating yet there was empathy to her at the same time. Not everyone has it figured it out. And I related to that. The search for something else. Afraid to regret the choices you made. She was flawed. Like all of us.
It's a type of movie you either like or dont. I feel like it has more to do with how much you empathise with the story and the character and u probably didnt. Maybe you just didnt find the story relatable in a way, but thats not bad. This movie is definitely not for everyone. I personally think it is a great and raw story about a person and their feelings and the need that Julia has to find the meaning of her life, something that will fullfill her and it is about sacrifices that she makes in order to find herself and just who she really is. That explains all the changes in her career. She comes to a realisation that she wants to do something out of love and realises that all those jobs before weren't really for her. But that is not the end, the way the other parts of her life are at the moment, she isn't happy with them either. Julia craves change. She knows that she is hurting the people that love her and that she loves, but decides to put herself and her desires first. And the story goes on. But yeah this is my take on the film, it touched me so i am able to talk about it for hours.
I watched this movie with 'little to no' expectations… didn’t know anything about it, but did know that it had a bit of a ‘buzz’ It started off OK. Seemed like a sophisticated urban story of rich ‘westerners’ with some existential angst ( growing up, finding yourself, etc, etc. ) issues. A ditsy main protagonist ( A Dakota Johnson doppelgänger ) finds herself in a relationship with a sorted, 'yet excruciatingly boring guy’ ( He draws adult comic books… and has a creepy vibe, as only an actor playing a 'comic obsessed nutter' could possibly pull off. ) So she runs off and has a fling with a guy, after sniffing his sweaty armpits. It’s another one of those films… that if you’re a critic, you generally can’t diss it. Because ‘at least it's trying to do something a little different’ Even if all of the stand out moments... felt like they fell out of a commercial advert shoot. Sometimes the cult of personality works its magic. I feel many people fell in love with the main actress. They could've watched virtually any 'cinematic structural narrative' strung around her and still come away, beaming with rave reviews. There’re some interesting moments, a few arresting, cinematically sweeping ideas… but as a ‘whole’, it completely fell apart in the final third… as the ( creepy ) guy she dumped, becomes terminally ill and she’s forced to reassess her carefree ditsy ways. It’s so badly handled, so saccharin and obvious… that it spoils anything genuine, that the filmmakers were trying for up to that point. It’s one of those films that you can see merit in it, whilst viewing… but by the time it’s over, you 'sort of' feel cheated. You know this was made by rich European yuppies, with only their rich yuppie lifestyle to draw upon. So if you're a rich, carefree 'westerner' - I'm sure this film resonates with you perfectly.
I question your assumption that the existential angst of rich, "care-free" westerners is not worth exploring. Although their issues are not as visceral or unambiguous as the dramas of the marginalized, up-rooted or oppressed, they are legitimate, and should not be dismissed. It is OK to go to the doctor with a broken finger, even if someone in a war-zone stepped on a land-mine, and the narrative of how the finger broke may be more interesting despite its relative inconsequentiality.
@@2Zemog Thank you for taking the time to toss a few sentences at me. Most non-privileged individuals don't swan about navel gazing. They work every hour they have just eking out a living. Any brutal proletariat existence, doesn't exist in Joachim Triers universe. He was supported by his wealthy, affluent family to be a skateboarder for a bit... because "it'll be cool". Now he's a filmmaker, also because "it'll be cool". If this film had something to say about being incredibly affluent, living in a near 'human paradise' that is modern Norway ( crazily rich on Oil and Gas ) One of the most prosperous countries in the world - then great. But it doesn't... it's just an exercise in commercial cinematic photography and some lackadaisical storytelling by Ola Fløttum. People in the West, really do like watching Scandinavians prancing about. It's a weird genre, a sort of fetish that many people enjoy... no matter the subject matter, or lack of it.
@@commonwunder I understand that you don't feel this movie is meaningful, and that's okay. But I do not think you can generalize broadly, nor that the suffering of a working class and the secure upbringing of the director are valid arguments for why the movie isn't worthwhile. I cannot say exactly how broad the target audience is or how many can relate to the type of life it portrays, but I am among them. As a young Norwegian, the movie is meaningful to me precisely because it portrays a search for meaning by someone like me, and because it reflects some truths about myself and people I know. You may not like the move - many do not - but your dismissiveness of the narrative feels like an invalidation of those of us who find the movie empathetic to struggles that are genuine from our perspective.
@@2Zemog Firstly, let me congratulate you on winning life's lottery. In the 'very best of times' for a human to 'wander 'n gawk' out at the world 'we' inhabit, you're not only in the greatest period ever... you're also in the best location possible to fully enjoy it. I'm also glad that you enjoyed this movie and found it inspirational. I hope it spurs you on... to live a full and vital life, always knowing that love and wonder surround you.
sad it didn’t win… drive my car and belfast both deserved the recognition though!!
Julie is such a human in her 20s. Deciding what she wants and doesn't want and then getting conflicted over it all, the overarching question being what does it even mean to want a thing or a person. This is displayed so 'breezy yet carefully' in the film - her not wanting a baby but then getting pregnant with the guy who didn't want kids, the trauma of a dismissive father playing into loving a much older man, wanting to cheat despite being in a happy relationship, and finally, the absolute truth of how death can strike without you having figured out what life is about.
You have summed it up so well.
30s
That's all I have. I spent my life doing that, collecting all that stuff, comics, books...And... I just continued,
even when it stopped giving me the powerful emotions I felt in my early twenties, I continued anyway.
And... now it's all I have left, Knowledge and memories of stupid, futile things nobody cares about.
In recent years. I reached a point in life when suddenly...It just happened. When...I began to worship what had been.
And now I have nothing else. I have no future. If I regret one thing, it's that I never managed to make you see how wonderful you are.
I wasted so much time worrying about what could go wrong, but what did go wrong, was never the things I worried about.
You were the most important relationship in my life. You don't have to say anything. I know it's not the same for you.
That's normal.
But I know, I feel it. And I want you to know. You were the love of my life.
I just watched it on the movies a few hours ago and I'm quite struck by the existential aspect of the movie. I think it also brings so many interesting things to be explored that anyone can relate to. Loved your review!
I watched this film a few hours ago. It is a wonderful film in terms of poignant storytelling,raw human interaction and evocative cinematography and colour grading.
Had I been in a different phase of my life maybe I would have perceived it differently but currently I felt apprehensive and skeptical about my life especially with Julie's character and what she did to Aksel.
I am 30 year old indian man. Never had a girlfriend nor a meaningful interaction with the opposite sex.. But I always liked the notion of love portrayed in western films and still hopelessly want such romance in my life with some Indian touch of course. Currently my family is looking for a potential bride for me.
After watching the film I am wondering what if they find me someone like Julie who is beautiful honest and a wonderful human being but doesn't possess the ability to compromise or doesn't want to put much effort into making a relationship work .She just leaves, runs away from one relationship to the other. She should have understood no relationship in the world can tick all the boxes. You have to weigh the good with the bad. But if you just dump the person at the slightest of inconvenience you put not only you but your partner in a situation of life long grief and trauma and that is what happened to Aksel and I don't want to end up like him 😔
I loved this film so much and you did this so much justice, you helped me understand why I loved it so much and you also opened my eyes at what is going so wrong for me at the moment... decision paralysis is the death of life.
thank you! no matter whatever it is that you are going through, remember that this too shall pass
Watching this felt like really diving into the lifes of the 3 main characters
Omg this is a glorious review. I love your thoughts on this and how you broke it down. This film is easily my favorite film of 22' already and it was so relatable and honest and warm and tragic all at the same time. Such a beautiful beautiful. It's one of those rare films that I wish I could've written cause it ticks all my interests. Im so excited for your next review! I'm definitely a huge fan of yours now!
thank you!
I saw it in 2021 so it was my favorite of last year
@Randy White It’s US release was in 2022
@Randy White yeah 21' in festivals, but I don't count those.
This is by far the best review I've seen of this film. I think you really get to the heart of what it's about, which, for me, is Life
:-)
And, actually, thinking about your youtube name (assuming it's a nod to _Kafka on the Shore_ ) the film resembles a Murakami story; he famously writes not knowing what's going to happen next, letting his character wander through life, exactly the way Renate Reinsve described her approach to her character.
Do you even know what love is? To be in love with someone is to become that person. When you become someone you will not think of leaving coz it will sound weird and impossible even. To confuse Love with attraction is strange.
The Worst Person in the World is my favorite movie of the year. I don't know if you have gotten to watch Oslo, August 31st yet but it's so good because of its honesty on the emotions of the topic that the film covers.
You always received a A in your college analysis papers LOL I loved every second of this movie and this review
Thank you for this analysis. I loved seeing it in this light!
I fcking loved Aksel in this movie so much
The monologue outside the hospital was out of this world. ❤️
This movie is simply marvelous. I guess I need to re-watch it soon. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
this film being listed as a “comedy” on Hulu….i felt so bamboozled
amazing ......thank you...
this is the first video that i saw of your's...and i subscribed right away :)
Thanks and welcome!
thx. this one went over my head but this was a good breakdown
I love this movie. It reminded me of another movie I love which is How to Be Single
Wow me too!
And the crazy thing was, I rewatched How To Be Single (it’s one of my comfort movies) the day before I watched The Worst Person In The World.
I did not mean to watch them in such rapid succession, but such a coincidence that I did. :)
I think Julie's relationship to her dad says a lot about her instability/unstable sense of self.
It's about an aimless woman trying to find meaning to her life , through love stories that she just fails in the end because she is so unsure what she wants in the first place. But and that's a big but , what was the purpose of all of this ?? Is it about life ?? Is it a character study ?? I don't know what to think of it . Maybe it's about growing up in a fast moving world associated with social media and fake realtionships more than anything . Because i do think that julie is the modern day equivalent of an adolescent. An adolescent about to hit 30's . An adolescent going through modern day life where feminism and feminists have to have control over everything . Like how they attacked Axel , a traditional man at heart and a groundbreaking cartoonist , who happened to cross the line a few times , with comics that hurt their pride . Maybe the whole movie is about modern day societies, where social media always drags us to think about the perfect realtionship and the perfect job . Where enough is just not enough anymore . Where men and women roles are reversed or equal that men and women alike are tangled in a never ending existential crisis looking for satisfaction and fulfilling their new roles .
I’ll wait to see it dubbed
(Jk I already saw it wonderful analysis 🎉)
Great film on so many levels! Who cares about an Oscar!
hear hear!
Love this film. Great review.
Everything everywhere won the Oscar for best movie. If they were questioned before.. now they mean nothing
Wonderful analysis! Such a masterful film!
I loved this movie your video essay makes me wanna watch it again thank you!!!!
Awesome review. Keep going!
My favourite movie!
It was so good and your review to 💗💗
Actually I think the "shared smoking" scene looks pretty cool- while actually being disgusting when you think about it- kind of like Julie. Simple test- switch genders in this film and everyone would think "this guy is a shit".
I though she was shit to people at times. It was good because it was frustrating yet there was empathy to her at the same time. Not everyone has it figured it out. And I related to that. The search for something else. Afraid to regret the choices you made. She was flawed. Like all of us.
Oscars dont like world cinema
I don't really understand the fluff around this movie. It was so boring for me. So trivial and just... yeah, simply boring.
It's a type of movie you either like or dont. I feel like it has more to do with how much you empathise with the story and the character and u probably didnt. Maybe you just didnt find the story relatable in a way, but thats not bad. This movie is definitely not for everyone. I personally think it is a great and raw story about a person and their feelings and the need that Julia has to find the meaning of her life, something that will fullfill her and it is about sacrifices that she makes in order to find herself and just who she really is. That explains all the changes in her career. She comes to a realisation that she wants to do something out of love and realises that all those jobs before weren't really for her. But that is not the end, the way the other parts of her life are at the moment, she isn't happy with them either. Julia craves change. She knows that she is hurting the people that love her and that she loves, but decides to put herself and her desires first. And the story goes on. But yeah this is my take on the film, it touched me so i am able to talk about it for hours.
Definitely a chick flick.
Definitely a male view of a woman who doesn't exist
I watched this movie with 'little to no' expectations… didn’t know anything about it, but did know that it had a bit of a ‘buzz’ It started off OK. Seemed like a sophisticated urban story of rich ‘westerners’ with some existential angst ( growing up, finding yourself, etc, etc. ) issues. A ditsy main protagonist ( A Dakota Johnson doppelgänger ) finds herself in a relationship with a sorted, 'yet excruciatingly boring guy’ ( He draws adult comic books… and has a creepy vibe, as only an actor playing a 'comic obsessed nutter' could possibly pull off. )
So she runs off and has a fling with a guy, after sniffing his sweaty armpits.
It’s another one of those films… that if you’re a critic, you generally can’t diss it.
Because ‘at least it's trying to do something a little different’
Even if all of the stand out moments... felt like they fell out of a commercial advert shoot.
Sometimes the cult of personality works its magic. I feel many people fell in love with the main actress.
They could've watched virtually any 'cinematic structural narrative' strung around her and still come away,
beaming with rave reviews.
There’re some interesting moments, a few arresting, cinematically sweeping ideas… but as a ‘whole’,
it completely fell apart in the final third… as the ( creepy ) guy she dumped,
becomes terminally ill and she’s forced to reassess her carefree ditsy ways.
It’s so badly handled, so saccharin and obvious… that it spoils anything genuine,
that the filmmakers were trying for up to that point.
It’s one of those films that you can see merit in it, whilst viewing… but by the time it’s over,
you 'sort of' feel cheated. You know this was made by rich European yuppies, with only their rich yuppie
lifestyle to draw upon. So if you're a rich, carefree 'westerner' - I'm sure this film resonates with you perfectly.
I question your assumption that the existential angst of rich, "care-free" westerners is not worth exploring. Although their issues are not as visceral or unambiguous as the dramas of the marginalized, up-rooted or oppressed, they are legitimate, and should not be dismissed. It is OK to go to the doctor with a broken finger, even if someone in a war-zone stepped on a land-mine, and the narrative of how the finger broke may be more interesting despite its relative inconsequentiality.
@@2Zemog Thank you for taking the time to toss a few sentences at me. Most non-privileged individuals don't swan about navel gazing. They work every hour they have just eking out a living. Any brutal proletariat existence, doesn't exist in Joachim Triers universe. He was supported by his wealthy, affluent family to be a skateboarder for a bit... because "it'll be cool". Now he's a filmmaker, also because "it'll be cool". If this film had something to say about being incredibly affluent, living in a near 'human paradise' that is modern Norway ( crazily rich on Oil and Gas ) One of the most prosperous countries in the world - then great. But it doesn't... it's just an exercise in commercial cinematic photography and some lackadaisical storytelling by Ola Fløttum. People in the West, really do like watching Scandinavians prancing about. It's a weird genre, a sort of fetish that many people enjoy... no matter the subject matter, or lack of it.
@@commonwunder I understand that you don't feel this movie is meaningful, and that's okay. But I do not think you can generalize broadly, nor that the suffering of a working class and the secure upbringing of the director are valid arguments for why the movie isn't worthwhile. I cannot say exactly how broad the target audience is or how many can relate to the type of life it portrays, but I am among them. As a young Norwegian, the movie is meaningful to me precisely because it portrays a search for meaning by someone like me, and because it reflects some truths about myself and people I know. You may not like the move - many do not - but your dismissiveness of the narrative feels like an invalidation of those of us who find the movie empathetic to struggles that are genuine from our perspective.
@@2Zemog Firstly, let me congratulate you on winning life's lottery. In the 'very best of times' for a human to 'wander 'n gawk' out at the world 'we' inhabit, you're not only in the greatest period ever... you're also in the best location possible to fully enjoy it. I'm also glad that you enjoyed this movie and found it inspirational. I hope it spurs you on... to live a full and vital life, always knowing that love and wonder surround you.
@@commonwunder Yes, I am very thankful for that indeed.
Hell yeah!! Just binged your content and love it:) subbed!! Hope we can be friends!