Movies: Sick Of Myself

The plot of Sick Of Myself sounded interesting to me and I'd heard a lot of good things about this film when it was released, so finally I got around to checking it out and was not disappointed. It's funny, it's tragic and it isn't hard to believe such human behaviour exists.

The film centres around the character of Signe, a young woman living a standard life with her boyfriend whose star is starting to rise. He is an artist (of sorts!), whose craft equates to little more than a gimmick: stealing expensive furniture to display as art. It is significant to the intention of the film that his art requires little effort and is unethical, yet results in piquing the interest of important people. As he anticipates a magazine cover story and interview, his career is seemingly taking off and all eyes are on him - which Signe is not happy about.

Whilst at work one day, Signe is faced with assisting a woman who has been viciously attacked by a dog. Signe observes the lack of empathy and unwillingness of the many other passersby to help, who casually pull out their phones and start filming the incident, as the poor woman bleeds out. This ignites an almost existential reflection on Signe's own human significance and breeds in her a need to stand out, to be noticed and cared for, leading to increasingly troubling behaviour.

With the attention her boyfriend is receiving, this only reinforces the risks she starts taking. At first, it is more than anything just a cringeworthy upstaging of him at an important dinner party, where she feigns an allergic reaction, thus dampening a speech he intended to make concerning a new exhibit opportunity.

Her plans start getting more extreme when she tries to coax a dog to attack her like the poor fated woman previously. When this fails, she trawls the internet where she finds a headline concerning a mystery skin condition suspected of being the side effects of an illegal drug. Locating the drug and using an old friend to obtain it for her, she begins consuming it, first the symptoms equating to tiredness, but soon enough a rash is developing on her body and more importantly, her face.

Getting to the point where she has to be hospitalised, Signe laps up the attention she receives, but notices how she is still having to contend with other people. The one-upmanship that ensues reveals not only a self-indulgence, but an apathy to one another's situation. If Signe is experiencing hardship, whether real or faked, her boyfriend remains focussed on his big moment and if the setting of their apartment will look presentable enough for the magazine photoshoot.

At times, the film is interspersed with Signe's inner commentary and the disgrace she may feel at her behaviour. There is an imagined encounter with a doctor, who reels off the numerous, worse aspects of Signe's personality, accusing her of being a drug addict of illegally obtained substances and inflicting her pain and suffering on herself. She is her own worst enemy.

At another point, as her condition is worsening, she envisions herself appearing on the news, where those in her life she has contention with, her father and a former friend, are invited to publicly apologise on national television for not loving and devoting their attention to her enough. Later, she even ponders her own funeral, how attendees would come from miles away, with bouncers at the church doors checking names and refusing her regretful father entry.

This digs further into her psyche, suggesting it isn't just about fame and competing with her boyfriend, but that desire to feel wanted and have purpose in an overpopulated world where everyone is grappling for attention. The film has a lot to say about the idea of 15 minutes of fame being diluted to 15 seconds. Constant onlineness and scrolling allow someone to be seen, but only fleetingly, and this is presented with Signe checking constantly changing news headlines.

Signe's lack of talent can also be compared to her boyfriend. He does the bare minimum to achieve success, whilst she has to exploit a sickness she brought on herself to garner fame. Her behaviour brings her fame, sure, but at a cost and it will still require her to go to lengths akin to Munchausen to keep her ahead. Even her useful connections seem almost reluctant to pursue her ideas, such as her own cover story, a book idea, or modelling contract, so more and more pills she will pop and worse and worse her condition will become until they say yes.

This film places a mirror in front of its viewers, with the sad truth being that the absurdity displayed here is not too far removed from actual modern, human behaviour. It is a brilliant commentary on sociopathy, whilst also focusing on our need for attention, to be wanted and have purpose in life, how effort, patience and striving for success is dwindling, exposing a certain unwillingness in people to work and wait for it.

If that all sounds depressing though, rest assured Sick Of Myself managed to accomplish all this with a brilliant sense of humour and is quite possibly the best film of last year.