The Year I Lost My Mind

CinemaSerf

2022-12-25T12:12:59Z

Sorry, but this is just preposterous and bizarre! "Tom" (Alexander Tsypilev) is routinely burgling a flat when he encounters the semi naked, sleeping, "Lars" (Julien Lickert). Not unsurprisingly, he becomes a bit obsessed and when this lecturer leaves his home to go to work, "Tom" easily lets himself in and rather creepily begins to sleep in his bed, wear his clothes - you get the gist! Anyway, "Lars" begins to suspect when his biscuits get eaten and his undies start to go awol until, eventually, he awakes to find an unwelcome visitor breathing over him. Up to this point, there is the vaguest hint of erotic menace. We know there is little physical danger, it's about an infatuation. Sadly, though, the last half hour is just beyond belief before a denouement that made me squirm. Had director Tor Iben stuck to his guns and made a drama about the addiction and dangers of obsession then this might have worked, but he didn't have the courage of his convictions and tempered the story to such a degree that the ending - some naked mud wrestling - just made me laugh (and not in a good way). It's a good idea for a screenplay, and you wouldn't kick Lickert out of bed for eating Pringles, but sadly this starts promisingly but falls away quickly. Moral of the film maybe - check that your door locks work?