Sick of Myself

I didn't expect it to be THIS good. There's a lot of film talent in Scandinavia lately. If you're reading this and the combo "drama, comedy, horror" sounds appealing you can't go wrong with this one (I recommend watching it alone). It does those three genres well with great timing. It's funny, it's horrific, it's devastating and beautiful. A lot of films - most of them really - nail the beginning and then fall apart, or resort to generic formulas for the ending, but a good ending makes it all worth it, gives meaning to the whole thing, I believe it's the most crucial part of a film.

This is really great stuff, a descent into madness presented with intelligence, sensitivy and style, it's up there close to heavy weights like Cronenberg's The Fly or Polanski's Repulsion; and Kristine Kujath Thorp is outstanding, without her there is no film. Besides, she is absolutely gorgeous. This deserves much more attention (ha!).

No pun intended - we are talking about two individuals who need to be the center of attention. And while that may sound like a match made in ... well not heaven, but also not hell. Their attitude though ... especially hers ... the title suggests that she hates herself - but it is the perception of herself that she hates.

On the other hand, if someone goes to the lengths she goes through ... if you have seen the trailer you know what I mean. If not, don't worry I won't say what I mean. Suffice to say it is something amazingly crazy. And if you thought she was unlikeable before ... well let me tell you, you will not like her more after that inciting incident. That of course as anyone can guess spirals out of control.

The introduction the director gave (video message) before the movie began was funny. Suggesting that only smart people will understand and like the movie. That said, of course he is not insulting anyone not liking the movie. There are quite a few reasons why some may at least mildly annoyed at the movie. Or at least the characters and their poor decision making.

Make up is really good, the diving into the head of the main character and seeing a version of what she thinks her future holds for her appears as sudden as it goes away. And you can't always tell when it begins - you can mostly tell that it is a dream sequence though.

Suspend your disbelief and go on a ride with a person that thinks she deserves attention ... remember: this is just a movie and do not try this at home.

When Signe's artist boyfriend finds fame for the sculptures he makes out of furniture he's stolen from businesses, she will stop at nothing to get the attention of the crowd back on her. Munchausen's syndrome: that's what they call it when a person makes an art-form out of malingering. Or when they go so far to fake illness that they're no longer really faking.

"Sick of Myself" is a comedy so dark it's almost a horror story. Not only a horror story: a *body* horror story. I wonder what David Cronenberg or Clive Barker would think of it.

It's also a challenging viewing experience. The tone is so troubling and uncomfortable that it reminded me of another Scandinavian flick from last year, "Speak No Evil" - but that one certainly wasn't a comedy.

I often had to take breathers while watching it.

It also reminded me of "Ingrid Goes West", another dark comedy about a mentally ill young woman and the place society holds for crazy people, which it finds easy to exploit. The difference is that "Ingrid" had a stronger sense of plot and I always knew what it was trying to say. "Sick of Myself" feels more organic and unstructured, which gives you the feeling that anything can happen.

This is very uncomfortable viewing for any human being who has ever been ignored and wants to be seen and recognized; so probably most in the 7 billion + will be triggered here out of humanity :]

• It truly is a comedy which shows flaws and unbalances in couples and also in society at large
• It makes fun of The Art World The World of Fashion; it makes fun of TV programs Newspapers The Realm of The Internet; nothing is left out ...
• It is clever funny disturbing but not too much of either of these 3; it also has that odd Scandinavian detachment which probably Scandinavians do not perceive and non-Scandinavians do not comprehend.

• I thought that it would be too serious but then the humour started to seep in and out like the main character's face at times; the acting was adequate but not striking
• Is it a comedy; a social commentary; a horror tale? A bit of all of those in a bright nicely furnished story

• Watch it for yourself and decide ...

There is a lot of social commentary to be found in this film, which revolves around a young woman named Signe, who cannot deal with her pathological need for attention. It not only brings a character portrait of someone suffering from Münchhausen syndrome, but it also highlights topics like how we choose our beauty standards, even with "imperfect" beauty to be politically correct, or how we portray ourselves to the outside world.

A funny dynamic is her relationship with an equally attention hungry boyfriend Thomas: he asked for her help stealing furniture which he makes into his "art" and takes all the credit for himself. The more attention he receives, the more revolted she becomes and vice versa.

The movie starts off fantastically with increasingly absurd social situations and how far people are willing to go for a second in the spotlight. However, the speed decreases halfway through the movie and instead focusses more on the actual sickness Signe forced on herself. Even though her state of being gets worse and worse, the initial lighthearted yet dark humor that worked so well is kind of forgotten. The ending was felt anticlimactic and out of place for a movie that borded on the absurd and extreme during the first half.

The ideas and the script are really great, but all in all I feel the makers did not exactly know how to end the story. It would have been better - in my opinion - if it went out with a bang or at least a bit more on par with the intensity delivered in the beginning.