I resonated with Julie and the confusion she has as a young woman. The movie doesn’t end with less confusion, just that she has grown a little more as a person. This is normal with foreign films, as only Americans seem to need to be nurtured at the end of the film. I like the foreign way because it is more realistic to me. No one’s life ends with a nurtured ending. It ends with the choices we made and whether we have learned anything from it or not.

I am glad that the writer decided to poke fun at the extremists in the movie, such as Eivind’s wife and the two female radio hosts. This is where I see Europeans joking about Americans, without saying it. It is validating to me to have to live in society with such nonsense. While they have a right to their opinion, hearing a writer joking about it, makes me feel I am not alone. And, on this topic, Aksel, the first bf – I agreed with his portrayal of people in the comic strip. While I agree, I wouldn’t buy them because I am not into that sort of thing but I listen to the same discouragement when I read the Daily Wire or I listen to Pam Popper talking about the ridiculousness of the pandemic. Aksel has a right to free himself by creating a cartoon strip that unleashes his artistic creativity but also spews out the unconscious confusion that goes on in his mind. This is what art is all about. Hugh Hefner once spoke of how his magazine Playboy, seems so unusual to American’s whereas in Europe it is normal and healthy. Society, at that time, saw his magazine as degrading to women but it was a healthy outlet. It was also very tasteful compared to Penthouse and Hustler. He actually did have really good articles and his photos were focused on beauty rather than pornography. You will never see a vagina in his magazines. While I do understand the argument against it, I don’t think this is a reason to not allow it.

I think Aksel’s cancer was the cancer of society, how broken down and disturbing we have become. That is how many of us feel like our society is toxic and filled with this cancer – or for me, like a lot of zombies are walking around. I felt for him so much when I heard his dx bc I understood the pain he was suffering. He couldn’t be the perfect bf but he loved Julie all the same. What a beautiful statement to leave her with at the end of his life. He was a perfect and well-liked artist within his genre and made a living off of his opinions through his characters, but was chastised by others. As an artist myself, you worry more about those who don’t like you, than those who do. It is an egotistical desire that we are liked by everyone. We can speak as if we are humble but ultimately, we would really love it if we were carried around on a lounge chair while everyone chanted our name loudly. Yet, at the same time, the idea of someone doing this to us would be nauseating. Thus, the quagmire of the mind.

I did love the scene with Julie and Eivind – the whole “We are not cheating,” routine. It is these fun moments in life that don’t lead to long-standing relationships necessarily but fun memories about your young adult years. And then, Julie’s hallucinations are no different than Aksel’s cartoon images and opinions. No one sees hers though, so no one will look down on her. The director took those images to very disturbing graphic images, that are hard to look at yet you can relate to nonetheless.

The relationships Julie has are deep, much deeper than I have ever experienced though I thrive on whenever I see foreign films. It would be so seductive to be with a man where you could have such thought provoking conversations. A passion between two people that leads to very raw sex. Which is why I love these films. I often fill as if I were born in the wrong country. A client said this to me the other day as well, in fact a person that I told about this film. I was thinking of her when I watched it. I know what will happen to Julie when she becomes my age, she will look back and think about all of her experiences with men and love each and every one of them. She will also, no doubt be alone, with her career and realize or wonder, what would have happened if she had settled with one of them. Then she will also realize that if she had, she would not be happy and would not have had the amazing career in which she has had her whole life.

When you don’t have good relationships with your father, or they are constantly rejecting you, it is difficult to have a fulfilling relationship with a man.

This film showed us so many things in a couple of hours. So many things were said, that would have been rejected if an American had created the film.

And that is what I love about foreign films. They continue to be honest, mind blowing, graphically pushing buttons and passionate all the same.