The Worst Person in the World (2021)

[Small Man Big Horse]

Norwegian romantic drama with a title that doesn't really describe what happens in the film, which is told in twelve parts and comes with a prologue and an epilogue and in the wrong hands that sounds horribly pretentious, I know, but fortunately that's not the case and I was blown away by this. It's beautifully photographed, the performances are astonishing (Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie especially), it's often very funny but also very emotional, and, well, I don't want to say much more, other than that this is a film that I absolutely adored, and is something that I'm sure will stay with me for a long time to come. 9.5/10

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Oh, Why's That Then? The Motion Picture.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Just watched Joachim Trier's previous film and really enjoyed it:

Thelma (2017) - A lonely student at university bonds with another girl but starts to have seizures, and something odd seems to be going on with her over protective father. Directed by Joachim Trier this is something I found really fascinating, not an awful lot happens but it's quite affecting, the characters feel real and believable despite the supernatural element, while it's beautifully shot and the cast are all superb. 8.0/10

So that's two for two now so I'm definitely going to check out his other films Louder Than Bombs, Oslo, August 31st, and Reprise, has anyone seen them out of interest?

[Malcy]

I'm working my way through his films. Really enjoyed TWPITW, thought Thelma was really good as well and Oslo, August 31st didn't really grab me at first but as it went on I got into it.

I'm leaving Louder Than Bombs for now and sticking to the Norwegian language ones.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm working my way through his films. Really enjoyed TWPITW, thought Thelma was really good as well and Oslo, August 31st didn't really grab me at first but as it went on I got into it.

I'm leaving Louder Than Bombs for now and sticking to the Norwegian language ones.

Glad to hear you enjoyed TWPITW and Thelma too, I've been slightly put off by the subject matter of Oslo, August 31st but definitely plan to watch it and his other films at some point.

[Malcy]

Glad to hear you enjoyed TWPITW and Thelma too, I've been slightly put off by the subject matter of Oslo, August 31st but definitely plan to watch it and his other films at some point.

I went in blind as I have with all his films.

It's tough. Is much harder to connect with the main character at first than the previous two to the point i was getting bored but by the end I was in to it and fully invested. Tough watch though. Saw a few parallels with myself which I think made it hit that bit harder.

Will do Reprise this week.

[sevendaughters]

did not like this at all. felt hollow and distanced, like a sewing together of some talking points with a very 90s 'oh i am not on the right path, woe' sentiment underpinning it. her outfits and hair get more expensive as she works in a bookshop (and they're changing, so it's clearly a thing) and she is always housed in very nice flats in the most expensive capital city in Europe and yet this several critics think this is a relatable tale of an ordinary person's 20s even though they are shallow and destructive? bad film. bad.

[Small Man Big Horse]

did not like this at all. felt hollow and distanced, like a sewing together of some talking points with a very 90s 'oh i am not on the right path, woe' sentiment underpinning it. her outfits and hair get more expensive as she works in a bookshop (and they're changing, so it's clearly a thing) and she is always housed in very nice flats in the most expensive capital city in Europe and yet this several critics think this is a relatable tale of an ordinary person's 20s even though they are shallow and destructive? bad film. bad.

I kind of figured that she'd inherited money but was still drifting through life, so that aspect didn't bother me. I'm sorry you didn't like it though, and hope it doesn't put you off his other films because I do think he is very talented.

I went in blind as I have with all his films.

It's tough. Is much harder to connect with the main character at first than the previous two to the point i was getting bored but by the end I was in to it and fully invested. Tough watch though. Saw a few parallels with myself which I think made it hit that bit harder.

I watched it today and found myself captivated, like you I went in blind and didn't know if it was going to be a tale of redemption or the complete opposite, and found it really powerful. I could see parallels with my own life too (at least when it came to being in your mid-thirties and feeling like you'd fucked everything up, and it was too late to find any kind of career, though eventually I finally found a resolution to that thankfully) and felt it was a very thought provoking insight in to addiction and depression,

Spoiler alert

especially the way that it was quietly brutal when he took that first sip of alcohol and I realised it was going to end bleakly.

[close]

[Malcy]

I watched it today and found myself captivated, like you I went in blind and didn't know if it was going to be a tale of redemption or the complete opposite, and found it really powerful. I could see parallels with my own life too (at least when it came to being in your mid-thirties and feeling like you'd fucked everything up, and it was too late to find any kind of career, though eventually I finally found a resolution to that thankfully) and felt it was a very thought provoking insight in to addiction and depression,

Spoiler alert

especially the way that it was quietly brutal when he took that first sip of alcohol and I realised it was going to end bleakly.

[close]

That's the exact point I'm at now. Still not got around to watching his other films yet but have them all ready to go.

[dissolute ocelot]

Just watched this (TWPITW). The acting is very good, it looks good in a naturalistic way, and it's sometimes very well observed but I didn't really relate with the characters. I'm not sure if the female lead is supposed to be a personality vacuum, it would kind of fit with her as someone drifting through life from person to person but it's not particularly dramatic. Also the idea that someone who writes edgy comic books about a cat with an asshole is anything other than a prick or weirdo seems implausible (not just a comic thing, edgy artists more generally)*. So I didn't really care what happened to him. I'm sure it's a brilliantly accurate portrayal of a certain slice of middle-class Norwegian society, but it didn't seem to have a lot to say beyond "life has its ups and downs". And other directors would have given us either copious sex or allegorical violence or some kind of phony moment of transcendence with a nice song.

*Also it seemed about the fifth thing I've seen recently with a very similar character to the comic book dude, so maybe that's an unfortunate coincidence.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

One feeling I can't help having is that the film is ultimately more from the point of view of the guy, while the woman is something of a projection and a fantasy, embodying his youth.

[ImmaculateClump]

So which Boston Crab biopic do people recommend then? I've heard "RRR" is more your watered down, officially approved fair, whereas this is the warts and all "tell it how it is" exposé.

[Smeraldina Rima]

The Coolest Guy on the Boards

[studpuppet]

One feeling I can't help having is that the film is ultimately more from the point of view of the guy, while the woman is something of a projection and a fantasy, embodying his youth.

Saw this at the cinema with my other half and although we enjoyed it, about half an hour later she said exactly the same thing; that it's very much a man's interpretation of a female character, and also that the male characters seem to make grand monologues while she just listens.