THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD

The Worst Person in the World weaves ideas and themes anyone will relate to into an always entertaining, never dull whole.

Anchored by a Renate Reinsve performance that easily ranks among the best I have seen in the past twelve months The Worst Person in the World takes a whimsical, insightful and at times touching look at the life of a 30-year-old Oslo native who's still trying to find her purpose in life.

As she juggles relationships, family bonds and her professional career, she realises it's not the destination that matters, it's the journey. The premise might not sound very innovative but under Joachim Trier's excellent direction - at once observational and visually exciting - you are immediately drawn into a fully-formed world you are happy to spend two hours in.

Even the narrative device of dividing the tale into a prologue, twelve chapters and an epilogue works a treat here, as The Worst Person in the World weaves ideas and themes anyone will relate to into an always entertaining, never dull whole. In a few small segments the picture does drag a little but without exception they are followed by a scene or plot twist that delights and surprises you anew.

The Worst Person in the World thus reminded me of the kind of movies Woody Allen used to make in the eighties. That alone should tell you it is one of the better films of the year.

release: 2021

director: Joachim Trier

starring: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nodrum, Ruby Dagnall