Anatomically Correct: I’M YOUR MAN

I wish studios would run movie titles by me before they decide, cause some are just so bland or too much like another movie or even exactly the name of another movie. I never understand that, there’s no shortage of words, every movie should have its own title.  Last year, Rachel Brosnahan‘s movie was called I’m Your Woman, and I think partly it’s what held that movie back from being more talked about. Now we have I’m Your Man, a German film with subtitles, although, it stars Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey, Colossal, Beauty and the Beast) who knew he spoke German? Or at least well enough for a Humanoid Robot programmed to speak German with an English accent.

Based on a short story by Emma Braslavsky. Maria Schrader (Netflix’s Unorthodox) has directed and co-written a sci-fi-lite film about a woman, Alma (Maren Eggert) an anthropologist at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, who is coerced to take part in a 3 week experiment, which would in turn provide the funding she needs to continue her own work.  The experiment consists of living with an Android, whose AI is designed to fit your personality.  The idea is that in a short amount of time spent in their presence the robot learns your behaviors, likes and dislikes, in order to become your perfect mate. They don’t come in a box needing to be assembled, but rather the company has Alma come meet him, Tom (Stevens) at a faux dance hall, where they have a little get to know you date.  Tom immediately turns on the programmed charm, but Alma just wants to test his knowledge and try and trick him up. 

At her apartment, she shows him to what looks like a storage closet and then proceeds to her own bedroom and locks her door.  I guess it would be weird to know he could roam around at night. There doesn’t seem to be an off switch or at least not one she asked about or was told. There’s really no instructions, other than his anatomically correct genitalia won’t get hard unless they’re kissing.  Kinda reminds me of Pretty Woman in reverse.

Alma is a rather no-nonsense woman close to 50 years of age, very much married to her work. She does have an Ex who also works at the museum, they have a tenuous friendly-ish relationship, but it’s obvious she’s put love and romance on the back burner. Even the scientist in her doesn’t want to participate in the social experiment of the situation, she’d rather just send this “guy” back.  But Tom is so patient and good natured. He’s not a pushover by any means, but he’s programmed to try new methods of breaking through.  I have to say Dan Stevens gives Michael Fassbender (Prometheus) a run for his money in terms of playing a convincing thinking robot.

I’m Your Man is part humorous rom/com, part socially philosophical, partly science fiction in premise, not much science is explained about how this new humanoid species (which comes in male or female, but not sure about transgender) is made. We know it’s in the experimental phase, but not how many are out in the world. But what I mainly came away with is the knowledge that this concept of artificial companionship would most definitely work for me! It’s so much less work than a relationship, you’d always have a date at the ready for any occasion, someone to prepare your meals and sex only when you were in the mood.

T&T @LAMB rating: 4 outta 5