The latest from Norwegian director Joachim Trier (distant relative of Lars Von Trier) is a romantic black-comedy, coming-of-age-tale about a young woman. It's the third film in what Trier describes as his “Oslo Trilogy,” coming after 2006's “Reprise” and 2011's “Oslo, August 31st.” I have not seen the first 2 films, but my understanding is that other than being set in Oslo, Norway, they have no connection to each other or to “The Worst Person in the World.” Three movies over 15 years, which all happen to be set in a writer/director's home city, does not seem like much of a trilogy to me. It would be like calling Woody Allen's oeuvre his “New York Trilogy.” Fortunately, “The Worst Person in the World” is thoughtful and engrossing enough to make me forgive that ridiculousness.
We meet Julie (Renate Reinsve) in her early twenties, trying to figure out what to study in college. The film then takes us through her next decade, as she loves and loses and tries to figure out who she is. It could be pretty thin gruel for a whole movie, but the combination of Trier's thoughtful script and Renate Reinsve's charm make this a delightful film that reminds me of 2001's “Amelie.” At the start of the film, I thought that Reinsve looked like the Norwegian Dakota Johnson, but by the end, her magnetic face and charming manner had me thinking that Dakota Johnson may just be the American Renate Reinsve.
Julie is not, of course, the worst person in the world, but the film is named for the fact that she often feels like she is. That's a feeling most of us can identify with, and the thing is, if you are wondering if you are the worst person in the world, you probably aren't. I don't imagine Hitler spent a lot of time worrying about whether he was a bad person. Julie muddles through her 20's, making mistakes and searching for herself, and for 2 hours, Joachim Trier makes her seem like the most interesting person in the world.
4 stars out of 5
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