Sick of Myself

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.

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.

There's a girl who likes to exceed expectations, just to grab, grasp, claw, pluck, seize, the world's attention, a girl whose boundaries are so wide, it's hard to even give a guide, as she smashes, crashes, bashes her foundations.

Original for sure, as Signe, superbly performed by Kristine Kujath Thorp, captures the eye, refocuses your gaze, turns your head at an angle and distracts with dismay, all for the sake of the brainwashing world so many have come to be seduced, deceived and ensnared by, and the rewards it invariably fails to deliver, as the clock tik toks and the masses fail to take stock, lock and flock.

This movie, about a woman who hatches a vicious plan to reclaim her rightfully deserved attention, is quite a unique story with interesting content, and is definitely something different. I think it was smart to add some humor here and there, which made the movie very alive. Narcissism is the core theme here, and the brutality was almost frighteningly strange. The crazy thing about this is that there are actually people out there doing the same kind of action like in this movie. A very interesting topic! I think the camera and the lightning work wasn't to good, which made it sometimes feel like a homemade movie, but at the same time, I think the script and the editing was great. Also, time and reality were well used. Recommending for those who wants to experience something different!

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.