By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Maria Schrader
Starring: Annika Meier | Dan Stevens | Falilou Seck | Hans Löw | Maren Eggert | Sandra Hüller | Wolfgang Hübsch
Original language title: Ich bin dein Mensch
Country: germany
Year: 2021
Running time: 108
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13087796/reference
Michael says: “***SLIGHT SPOILERS***
I’m behind on my reviews, and I’m still working on my soft pandemic commitment to review all the films i see. Several weeks back, we watched I’M YOUR MAN as part of our weekly discussion. This German film directed by Maria Schrader, perhaps most well-known for the TV mini-series ‘Unorthodox,’ is a thoughtful, intelligent romantic comedy, that may be trying to be a little provocative, but ends up being more entertaining then thought-provoking. Maren Eggers (GIRAFFE, THE EXPERIMENT) plays Alma, an academic researcher who for reasons unknown, has offered to (or perhaps been selected to) evaluate a new model of A.I. A sophisticated robot that is bering set up to enter the market as the perfect companion for those single folk who desire a romantic partner tailor made to their specifications. Alma is an odd choice for this task, as she is devoted to her work, is adamant in her singlehood and recovering form a devastating loss. Her ex-husband is still around, and they are friendly enough, although he’s becoming increasingly more involved with another woman, and her father is starting require more and more care as he gets ages. Enter Dan Stevens (COLOSSAL, ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Legion’) as Tom, the A.I. who Alma will be testing. They meet at a singles bar, where Tom glitches during a dramatic salsa dance. Despite this setback, and Alma’s obvious reluctance, Tom goes home with her to be tested.
“Schrader, herself an actor (she was Jaguar in AIMEE & JAGUAR) clearly works well with actors. Eggers and Stevens, as well as a delightful supporting turn from Sandra Hüller (TONI ERDMANN, REQUIEUM) all turn in strong performances and enhance the film experience. There’s a terrific moment, as Tom is learning about the humans he has been built to please, when Alma suffers a huge disappointment that, when viewed dispassionately, doesn’t make sense, even though we all know we would feel the same way. Tom struggles with that in a way that in a way that underscores the effect that emotions have on rational thought. The major drawback for me was the way Tom continuously behaves or speaks in ways that highlight is robotic nature. It seems to me, that if you’re trying to create the illusion of the perfect mate, you would try not to keep reminding the human in the relationship that you are not. Still, the film heads towards it’s inevitable conclusion, then tosses that in the air for some ambiguity in the final scene. Overall, I’M YOUR MAN is fun, yet not completely fluffy romantic comedy that is worth your time. 4 cats”
Chris says: “Go into this one cold, if possible–I’ll only say that Dan Stevens was perfectly cast and mean it as a compliment in this case. 3.5 cats“