Joachim Trier: ‘Rom-coms are an existential form’

Joachim Triers the worst person in the world Tells the story of a young woman, Julie, who traces love and life through time. The film won acclaim at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered, and was nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay at the 94th Academy Awards.

Trier is quoted as saying that the film is a rom-com for those who hate him. “I said that spontaneously in an old interview,” laughs Trier. Speaking on a video call from London, the Oslo-based filmmaker says, “Hate is a strong word. People have these preconceptions about what a rom-com should be. I wanted to make a rom-com that took its characters seriously.”

happily ever after

The director says finding the right person is not the end of his story. “I took the form and twisted it. Others have done it too. Great romantic comedies, like George Cookers philadelphia story(1940) or Notting Hill (1999), has an existential dilemma at its core. There’s always something serious about trying to figure out who you are.”

philadelphia storybegins with Katharine Hepburn as a figure of fun, Trier says. “The journey of trying to find vulnerability and failure and then discovering how you connect with others is fundamentally an existential thing.”

Notting HillShows how, says Trier, love can never happen between the idealization of the famous movie star and the little man who works in the bookstore. “You have to find your weakness to connect properly with the other. I don’t mean to be pretentious, but to me it’s an existential journey.”

like a book

the worst person in the world Structured like a book. Trier says that he chose the structure to show the evolution of man through time. “I realized that by creating chapters, and changing the mood and tempo from one segment to the next, I could help the audience jump through time. There are ellipses between the chapters that the audience can fill in.”

While the film, Trier comments, is about someone trying to find their destiny, and a sense of place in the world, it is also about time flowing. “You think things are going to last forever, but suddenly you’re a little bit older.”

The chapters gave him the opportunity to combine silly, humorous elements with more dramatic ones, says Trier. “Showing the audience the seams, the way the film is constructed, invites acceptance of the fact that while things are diverse, they are not a homogeneous flow.”

third in trilogy

the worst person in the world The following is seen as the third film in Trier’s Oslo trilogy. Reprise (2006) and Oslo, August 31 (2011). Trier says he didn’t think of the trilogy when it was making Reprise, “I just wished it wasn’t my last film! ( laughing) I just hoped and prayed that I would continue to make films. It’s probably being treated as a trilogy because I’m returning to a type of character or an environmental or thematic connection that was in these movies. It was my yearning to return to my cinematic roots.”

Anders Danielson Lai and Renate Reinsway in ‘The Worst Person in the World’ | photo credit: special arrangement

Anders Danielson Lai, who plays Axl the worst person in the world, pointed to a connection to Trier. “He played one of the two main characters Reprise and lead Oslo, August 31, When he read the script, he said, ‘Ah, it sounds like a trilogy, a return to some of your themes, a way of looking at Oslo’.

out of chaos

Black comedy was born out of all sorts of things, Trier says. “I sit in a room with my old friend and colleague Eskil Vogt, and we talk about two things, movies, and what we think is interesting in movies. Film from this dreary curiosity and chaos of life I told Eskil long ago that I wanted to make a film about a young man’s journey of love and self-discovery. We have this big, fanciful romantic life in our heads, and then we have The reality is. We are all trying to negotiate these two things.”

The title does not refer to the specific person, Trier says with a laugh. “It’s not a judgmental title. It’s ironic and refers to multiple characters.” Describing this as a Norwegian trait, Trier says that Norwegians feel that they are not good enough, and that they do not achieve what they should. “And then they’ll say, ‘Oh, I feel like the worst person in the world.’ Doing the best. They judge themselves.”

like me

It’s easy to identify with axels as they near age, says Trier, 48. “Axel comes from a creative background. I also identify with Julie. When I was little, I found it difficult to deal with love. It can still be tough at times, but in different ways now that I’m older. I’m always on the side of people who are idealistic and Julie is really romantic.”

After all, writing isn’t just about identity, Trier comments. “Creative writing is about dragging myself into someone else’s shoes through empathy, curiosity, and imagination. It’s almost like an escape mechanism. I feel free when I can write to someone I’m not I find that tricky and it takes me out of my mind sometimes. I think it’s a healthy exercise ( laughing,

selling out

Julie’s old boyfriend, Aksel, is a comic book writer who raves about a vanilla adaptation of his comic book. “I’m sorry for Axel because he wants to be relevant. He probably needs the money and he thinks it’s great if someone makes a cartoon out of his stuff. I bet he thought it was great And then it just turned into a commercial kids movie. I find it hilarious, it’s a tragicomedy.”

The arts-and-commerce debate has found Trier hard bargaining. “I’ve done final cuts on all five of my films. I probably made them for less money than I could have. I’ve been concerned about staying true to the kind of cinema I want to make. I’m like that. I work with a group of people who I consider to be close collaborators and friends. We try to make films that we find important, not in a pretentious way, just in a personal gentle way. Without anyone telling us we should be apart so that he can earn more money.Ironically we have worked in the same way for five films and they are all fine, but this is the last one, the worst person in the world It was a huge commercial success in many countries.

“I’m happy, I want everyone in the world to see my movies but I also know that I’m a working guy in Norwegian. It’s a small country, I can’t expect much. That’s why I’m in the film.” making some comments on the idea of ​​selling ( laughing) I know what that temptation is like, but I have yet to get that ticket for that ride.

actors and vision

One of the greatest joys of making films, says Trier, is finding the right actors to do the job. “Reaction is what I crave while shooting with great actors. I have long admired Renate Reinsway, who plays Julie. ,

Reinsway won Best Actress at Cannes for her performance. “We knew we wanted to make this film with him. While we were writing I asked her if she wanted to do the film. Julie was built around my idea of ​​what she could do. She balances humour, fervor, fun and physical acting with a deep dive into character exploration. ,

According to Trier the big discovery was Herbert Nordrum who plays Evind, the barista who entered Julie’s life. “I haven’t worked with him before. He’s probably better known for comedy. He plays a gentle, kind person in an interesting way. There’s a warmth and generosity that I find charming and interesting. Amazing actors – subtle and smart.”

find the hidden

Trier, who shoots on film and not digitally, encourages actors to perform certain versions of the scene as it is written. “I also ask them to move on to the moments. There is a long close-up in the film, when Julie is thinking and Aksel asks her, ‘What are you thinking about?’ She starts laughing and crying. It was not scripted. When we finished, I asked Renate what she was thinking about. He said he didn’t remember. This is a unique moment because the audience is allowed to imagine what Julie is thinking. It is a mystery within that moment. That is art, that ambivalent emotional space created through a little luck and planning. The things I care about are the ones that arrive without compulsion. ,

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