The Worst Person in the World (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Worst Person in the World
The Worst Person in the World (film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
NorwegianVerdens verste menneske
Directed byJoachim Trier
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKasper Tuxen
Edited byOlivier Bugge Coutté
Music byOla Fløttum
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • SF Studios (Norway)
  • Memento Distribution (France)
  • TriArt Film (Sweden)
Release dates
  • 8 July 2021 (2021-07-08) (Cannes)
  • 13 October 2021 (2021-10-13) (France)
  • 15 October 2021 (2021-10-15) (Norway)
  • 19 November 2021 (2021-11-19) (Sweden)
Running time
121 minutes
Countries
  • Norway
  • France
  • Denmark
  • Sweden[1][2]
LanguageNorwegian
Box office$5.2 million[3]

The Worst Person in the World (Norwegian: Verdens verste menneske) is a 2021 Norwegian dark romantic comedy-drama film directed by Joachim Trier.[4][5] It is the third film in the director's "Oslo Trilogy", following Reprise (2006) and Oslo, August 31st (2011). The film premiered in competition at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, with Renate Reinsve winning the award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.[6][7] At the 94th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay.[8]

Plot[]

Prologue

Julie is a medical student in Oslo who, after having an epiphany, decides to pursue psychology. After going through her camera roll on her phone, she then decides to become a photographer. While out with her first boyfriend, she meets Aksel Willman, an acclaimed comic artist fifteen years her senior. Despite their age gap, the two hit it off and begin a relationship.

Chapter 1: The Others

Aksel and Julie, now dabbling in writing, spend a weekend together at Aksel's parents' house. Aksel floats the idea of starting a family to Julie, but Julie says she is not ready and is unsure when she will be. One morning, she watches as Aksel colors with his nieces and nephews.

Chapter 2: Cheating

While walking home from a publishing event for Aksel, Julie comes across a party that she decides to crash. There, she meets Eivind, a coffee barista. Though both are in relationships, they spend the entire night together, sharing intimacies but never cheating on their significant others. They exchange only their first names and plan no further encounter.

Chapter 3: Oral Sex in the Age of #MeToo

Julie writes a blog post about her preferences in performing oral sex, and Aksel, impressed with it, encourages her to post it online, where it receives mild attention.

Chapter 4: Our Own Family

Julie celebrates her 30th birthday at her divorced mother's home along with Aksel and Julie's grandmother. Julie's estranged father fails to attend, claiming he injured his back. Days later, Julie and Aksel visit her father. Julie asks him if he has read her article, and he claims he was unable to open the link. He makes excuses to decline Aksel's invitation to visit him and Julie in Oslo. On the way home, Aksel tells Julie she needs to make her own family.

Chapter 5: Bad Timing

While working at a bookstore, Julie encounters Eivind and his wife Sunniva. Julie and Eivind talk while Sunniva waits outside. While having dinner with Aksel's brother and sister-in-law, Aksel complains about the cinematic adaptation of his comic series Bobcat, in which his politically incorrect series is turned into a family-friendly Christmas film. Julie, feeling disillusioned, decides to go on a date with Eivind and they fall in love. When she returns home the following morning, she breaks up with Aksel, but they have sex one last time before she leaves his apartment, though she implies that they could reconcile at some point.

Chapter 6: Finnmark Highlands

The history of Eivind and Sunniva's relationship is shown. After a close encounter with a reindeer while on a camping trip, Sunniva is compelled to research her ancestry, which determines that she is 3% Sámi. This leads her to becoming an avid climate-change and indigenous peoples rights activist. Eivind begins to grow exhausted with their restrictive lifestyle, at which point he encounters Julie in the bookstore.

Chapter 7: A New Chapter

Julie and Eivind move in together. Though he has since broken up with Sunniva, he still follows her on Instagram, which does not trouble Julie.

Chapter 8: Julie's Narcissistic Circus

Eivind hosts a small party where one of his friends uncovers Eivind's stash of psychedelic mushrooms. After consuming them, Julie envisions herself angrily throwing her bloodied tampon at her father while also confronting her fears of having children. The following night, she confides in Eivind that she can be herself around him.

Chapter 9: Bobcat Wrecks Xmas

While exercising at the gym, Julie watches a TV interview in which Aksel defends his Bobcat comics against a feminist critique. When the host accuses his comics of being sexist, Aksel goes into a fiery defense of his work, which appears to impress Julie.

Chapter 10: First Person Singular

Aksel's brother happens upon Julie at work and discloses that Aksel has inoperable pancreatic cancer. Sometime later, Eivind comes across a short story Julie had written. When he assumes it is based on her real-life experiences, Julie angrily denies this and belittles him.

Chapter 11: Positive

Julie learns she is pregnant and delays telling Eivind. She visits Aksel in the hospital and they review their lives apart. Aksel confides that he is devastated by the prospect that he no longer has a future, and Julie admits that she is pregnant. Despite his assertions that she would be a good mother, she is unsure of whether she wants to keep the baby. Returning home, Julie finally tells Eivind about her pregnancy, and they decide to separate while she determines whether she wants to keep the child.

Chapter 12: Everything Comes to an End

Aksel takes Julie to the building where he grew up and was inspired to become an artist. He tells her that he wishes he could continue living with her and not simply live on as a memory. She later receives a voicemail from Aksel's brother reporting that his condition has worsened and that he will likely not make it through the night. She sadly walks the streets of Oslo and watches the sunrise the following morning. While showering, Julie miscarries.

Epilogue

Some time later, Julie is working as an on-set photographer for a film shoot. She photographs an actress and then, gazing through a window, sees her outside with Eivind, apparently her partner, and a child, apparently theirs.

Cast[]

Release[]

MK2 Films secured a sales deal on the film in February 2021.[9] The film had its world premiere in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival on 7 July.[10][11][12] A week later, the film's US distribution rights were sold to Neon, while the India, UK and Ireland rights were acquired by Mubi.[13][14]

The Worst Person in the World had its North American premiere on 11 September as a Gala Presentation at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.[15][16][17] The film was released theatrically in France on 13 October 2021 by Memento Distribution, in Norway on 15 October 2021 by SF Studios and in Sweden on 19 November 2021 by TriArt Film.[18][19][20]

Critical reception[]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 127 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's consensus reads, "The Worst Person in the World concludes Joachim Trier's Oslo Trilogy with a romantic comedy that delightfully subverts the genre's well-worn tropes."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[22]

At The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw described the film as "one of Cannes' best" and "an instant classic".[23] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair called it "exquisite, wistful (and downright sad)".[24] Vanity Fair and The Atlantic declared The Worst Person in the World to be the best film of 2021.[25][26]

Accolades[]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 17 July 2021 Palme d'Or Joachim Trier Nominated [27]
Best Actress Renate Reinsve Won
Gotham Independent Film Awards 29 November 2021 Best International Feature The Worst Person in the World Nominated [28]
National Board of Review 3 December 2021 Top Five Foreign Language Films Won [29]
New York Film Critics Circle 3 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film Won [30]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 6 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film Nominated [31]
European Film Awards 11 December 2021 Best Screenwriter Joachim Trier Nominated [32]
Best Actress Renate Reinsve Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 15 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film The Worst Person in the World Nominated [33]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 18 December 2021 Best Actress Renate Reinsve Runner-up [34]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 20 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film The Worst Person in the World Runner-up [35]
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards January 2022 Best Woman's Breakthrough Performance Renate Reinsve Pending [36]
Most Daring Performance Award Nominated
National Society of Film Critics 8 January 2022 Best Actress Renate Reinsve Runner-up [37]
Best Supporting Actor Anders Danielsen Lie Won
Belgian Film Critics Association 8 January 2022 Grand Prix The Worst Person in the World Won [38]
San Diego Film Critics Society 10 January 2021 Best International Film Nominated [39]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle 10 January 2022 Best Foreign Language Film Nominated [40]
Austin Film Critics Association 11 January 2022 Best International Film Nominated [41]
Toronto Film Critics Association 16 January 2022 Best Foreign Language Film Runner-up [42]
Seattle Film Critics Society 17 January 2022 Best Film Not in the English Language Nominated [43]
Best Actress in a Leading Role Renate Reinsve Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society Awards 19 January 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Worst Person in the World Nominated [44]
Online Film Critics Society Awards 24 January 2022 Best Picture Nominated [45]
Best Actress Renate Reinsve Nominated
Best Film Not in the English Language The Worst Person in the World Nominated
London Film Critics Circle Awards 6 February 2022 Actress of the Year Renate Reinsve Pending [46]
Foreign Language Film of the Year The Worst Person in the World Pending
César Awards 25 February 2022 Best Foreign Film Pending [47]
Critics' Choice Awards 13 March 2022 Best Foreign Language Film Pending [48]
British Academy Film Awards 13 March 2022 Best Actress in a Leading Role Renate Reinsve Pending [49]
Best Film Not in the English Language The Worst Person in the World Pending
Satellite Awards 18 March 2022 Best Foreign Language Film Pending [50]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Renate Reinsve Pending
Academy Awards 27 March 2022 Best Original Screenplay Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier Pending [51]
Best International Feature Film The Worst Person in the World Pending

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Worst Person in the World". MK2 Films. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  2. ^ "The Worst Person in the World (Verdens Verste Menneske)". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  3. ^ "The Worst Person in the World (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. ^ "MK2 Films Seals Pre-Sales on Joachim Trier's New Film; Unveils First Still". Variety. 26 February 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  5. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (8 July 2021). "'The Worst Person in the World': Film Review | Cannes 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Cannes' Palme D'Or goes to Titane". Cineuropa. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Cannes Film Festival 2021: Full Winners List". Asia Tatler. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  9. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (26 February 2021). "MK2 Films Seals Pre-Sales on Joachim Trier's New Film; Unveils First Still (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Cannes Film Festival 2021 Lineup: Sean Baker, Wes Anderson, and More Compete for Palme d'Or". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 7 July 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  11. ^ Roxborough, Scott (3 June 2021). "Sean Penn, Wes Anderson, Sean Baker, Ildikó Enyedi Join 2021 Cannes Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Meet the team from the film Verdens Verste Menneske (The Worst Person in the World) by Joachim Trier". Festival de Cannes 2021. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  13. ^ Keslassy, Elsa; Ravindran, Manori (16 July 2021). "Neon Buys Joachim Trier's 'Worst Person in the World' Out of Cannes". Variety. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  14. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (16 July 2021). "Cannes Buzz Pic 'The Worst Person In The World' Sells To MUBI In UK After Auction". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  15. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (20 July 2021). "Toronto Film Festival Lineup Adds 'Dear Evan Hansen,' 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' and 'Clifford the Big Red Dog'". Variety. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  16. ^ "The Worst Person In The World". TIFF. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  17. ^ "TIFF 2021: The Worst Person in the World, Arthur Rambo". The Sunbreak. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Julie (en 12 chapitres) | en salles le 13.10.21" (in French). Memento Distribution. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  19. ^ "FilmfestivalFilmfestivalen i Cannes: Joachim Trier i hovedkonkurransen med Verdens verste menneske" (Press release) (in Norwegian). SF Studios. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  20. ^ Sarman, Eva (14 November 2021). "Världens värsta människa". Filmeye.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  21. ^ "The Worst Person in the World". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  22. ^ "The Worst Person in the World Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  23. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (8 July 2021). "The Worst Person in the World review – Nordic romcom is an instant classic". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  24. ^ "'The Worst Person in the World' Is the Best Film at Cannes So Far". Vanity Fair. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  25. ^ Lawson, Richard (1 December 2021). "The 10 Best Movies of 2021". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  26. ^ Sims, David (7 December 2021). "The 10 Best Films of 2021". The Atlantic. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  27. ^ "Cannes Film Festival 2021: Full Winners List". Asia Tatler. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  28. ^ Sharf, Zack (21 October 2021). "Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations: 'Pig,' 'Green Knight,' 'Passing' Compete for Best Feature". IndieWire. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  29. ^ Sharf, Zack (2 December 2021). "National Board of Review Winners 2021: 'Licorice Pizza' Takes Best Picture and Best Director". IndieWire. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  30. ^ Hipes, Patrick (3 December 2021). "'Drive My Car' Named Best Film By New York Film Critics Circle; Benedict Cumberbatch, Lady Gaga, 'West Side Story', 'Licorice Pizza' Take Other Prizes – Complete Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  31. ^ Eric, Anderson (4 December 2021). "Washington DC Critics: 'Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  32. ^ Roxborough, Scott. "'Titane', 'Hand of God' Among European Film Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  33. ^ Tallerico, Brian (13 December 2021). "West Side Story Leads the 2021 Chicago Critics Nominees". RogerEbert. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  34. ^ Shanfield, Ethan; Murphy, J. Kim (18 December 2021). "'Drive My Car' and 'The Power of the Dog' Win Top Prizes at L.A. Film Critics Association Awards 2021 (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  35. ^ Neglia, Matt (20 December 2021). "The 2021 Dallas Fort-Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) Winners". Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  36. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (10 December 2021). "'The Power of the Dog, 'Passing' Lead Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Nominations (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  37. ^ Pond, Steve (8 January 2022). "'Drive My Car' Wins Best Picture Award From National Society of Film Critics". The Wrap. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  38. ^ Calbert, Yves (11 January 2022). "Grand-Prix de l'Union de la critique de cinéma: Julie (en 12 chapitres) de Joachim Trier". Bruxelles City News (in French). Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  39. ^ Murray, Rebecca. "San Diego Film Critics Society 2021 Nominees: Belfast Tops the List with 12 Nominations". ShowbizJunkies. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  40. ^ Neglia, Matt (7 January 2022). "The 2021 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) Nominations". NextBigPicture. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  41. ^ Neglia, Matt (4 January 2022). "The 2021 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Nominations". Next Big Picture. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  42. ^ Neglia, Matt (16 January 2022). "The 2021 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Winners". Next Big Picture. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  43. ^ ""The Power of the Dog" Leads the 2021 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  44. ^ Darling, Cary (3 January 2022). "'The Power of the Dog' takes a bite out of Houston Film Critics Society's nominations". Preview. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  45. ^ Neglia, Matt (18 January 2022). "The 2021 Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) Nominations". Next Big Picture. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  46. ^ Yossman, K.J. (16 December 2021). "Female Filmmakers Shine at London Critics' Circle Film Awards With Nominations for Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Joanna Hogg". Variety. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  47. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (26 January 2022). "César Awards Nominations: 'Lost Illusions', 'Annette', 'Aline' Dominate; 'Titane' Shut Out Of Best Film Race – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  48. ^ Hammond, Pete (13 December 2021). "Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations Led By 'Belfast' And 'West Side Story'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  49. ^ Grater, Tom (3 February 2022). "BAFTA Film Awards: 'Dune' & 'The Power Of The Dog' Lead Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  50. ^ Anderson, Erik (1 December 2021). "'Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead 26th Satellite Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  51. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Lewis, Hilary (8 February 2022). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""