Signe is a severely egocentric person who, if I may make a quick diagnosis, probably also suffers from Münchhausen syndrome. She thus seeks the pity of the outside world by faking illness, and when her equally egocentric boyfriend gets a lot of media attention, she takes it seriously to be noticed.
Kristoffer Borgli, who is responsible for both direction and script, sketches a semi-sharp and witty satire on the indiscreet charm of the cultural elite, in which the mentioned boyfriend is praised in the media for his exhibitions (which basically just consist of a bunch of stolen chairs stacked in various "wacky" ways). Most funny, however, is the passive-aggressive struggle between him and Signe, where they excel in the art of dissing the other's successes and celebrating their own.
Borgli alternates Signe's fantasies about future fame with the crass gloominess of reality.
It starts as another comedy about a troubled young woman struggling with life and relationships, you know that charming strulputte role that used to be the domain of boys but in recent years has been annexed by the opposite sex. Best Swedish example: Lisa Aschan's "Call Mom!", best Norwegian: "Ninja baby" – which coincidentally has the same lead role as "Sick of myself", rising star Kristine Kujath Thorp.
But soon the darker tones take over and Kristine Kujath Thorp's character turns out to be of a more bitter nature, yes – actually quite unbearable. Which, of course, makes her even more complex and exciting to follow.
Kristoffer Borgli has mainly made a name for himself in short film, and the best thing about works in that format is that they can end a little wonderfully open, with a twist or a more atmospheric insinuation. And like many other experienced short filmmakers who have had the chance to switch up to the long format, Borgli has a hard time putting an end to it. He cranks the mix of reality and fantasy once too much and eventually seems to suffer from intellectual soup cod – but the road there is undoubtedly entertaining.