223. Sick Of Myself (Syk pike); movie review

 

SICK OF MYSELF (SYK PIKE)

Cert 15

97 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, strong bloody images, sex, drug misuse, self-harm

Isn't it astonishing the length to which people will go for notoriety nowadays?

Through the likes of Big Brother, we have seen folk expose their inner secrets as well as their bodies for 15 minutes of fame.

And then there are the more grotesque headline-grabbers at school shootings and the like.

Sick Of Myself is an off-the-wall, exaggerated insight into the need to be in the spotlight from someone without obvious talent.

It stars Kristine Kujath Thorp as Signe, a coffee house server desperate to be more interesting.

Initially, she shares in the reflected glory of her artist partner (Eirik Sæther) and gets her kicks out of joining him in extravagant dares.

But she soon wants to be the centre of dinner party conversations, not peripheral to them and finds extreme ways of turning heads in her direction.

Thorp excels as Signe, whose character becomes progressively more disturbed as her craving for validation becomes more and more intense.

Sick Of Myself's poster gives a clear indication of the route of the film and the physical damage that Signe does to herself.

But its most significant plank is her willingness to sacrifice friendships because of her addiction to fame and her growing belief she is entitled to it.

Obviously, Kristoffer Borgli's film should not be taken too seriously but it raises some really interesting questions about today's society. 

It is strange and some won't get it but I fell for it.

Reasons to watch: Strange but intriguing

Reasons to avoid: Some won't get it at all

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Research by DASH has revealed that millennials (25 to 35s) are the most fame-hungry generation. Nearly three quarters of millennials (74 per cent) admitted they would go to extreme lengths for fame in a new survey of 1,000 respondents.

The final word. Kristoffer Borgli: "I often hear, “I’m so her” or “She is so me.” I didn’t hear that as much in Norway. I think the film is maybe more relatable for an American person. So that’s interesting. I think that the parts that are exotic to a Norwegian audience are more familiar here, and both are kind of interesting elements to play with." Filmmaker

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