I’M YOUR MAN/ ICH BIN DEIN MENSCHE

Germany, 2021, 100 minutes, Colour.

Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens, Sandra Huller.

Directed by Maria Schrader.

A film about German robotics developments, with touches of German humour and touches of German seriousness.

Maren Eggert portrays an archaeologist, investigating uniform with other experts, only to find that she has been beaten to solutions by Brazilian rival. In the meantime, she has agreed to test out a robot, its human qualities, the possibilities for the robot to be a companion for lonely humans and to respond accordingly. She is sceptical.

The robot she has to test is called Tom and is seen in the form of Dan Stevens, touch of the British accent in German, suave and good-looking, attentive and considerate. The algorithms have programmed him that way. However, initially at a social and dancing, something of the mechanics fails and he has to go back for re-checking and fixing. She is unwilling to continue the test.

However, complications from her failure in making progress with her findings, some drinking, some attentiveness from Tom, they go home together, testing his empathy and mechanics for sexual companionship. In the morning, sober, she rejects Tom and writes a report stating that the experiment should stop, and making the point is that this kind of companionship is to the detriment of human feelings and relationships.

But, there are more complications than just simply writing reports, Tom is seeking her out as she goes to her family home, shows how attentive he can be, and the effect on her.

So, the screenplay offers both sides of the argument, the dehumanisation, and the conversation in feelings for lonely people, leaving it to the audience to decide which is the more persuasive argument.

1. Future world? Technology? Robotics? Consequences for human behaviour?
2. The German film, the setting, the city, recognisable with apartments, offices, laboratories? Clubs, the countryside? The musical score?
3. The development of robotics, androids, algorithms and programs, personality, knowledge, no basic human functions of eating or sleeping, re-creating sexual behaviour? The effect on the humans, the robots as extensions of themselves?
4. Alma, scientist, her work on uniform languages, her colleagues, research, her boss? Possibilities of travel? The discovery of a Brazilian investigator publishing on the same themes? Devastated?
5. Her role with Tom, agreeing to test Tom, meeting, at the club, his talk, manner, personal and impersonal? Alma and her testing the other robots, their aura? Her personal life, not wanting a relationship, the discussions with Roger? The former boyfriend, his new partner, the housewarming, his visit and suspicions, her going with Tom to the party, the collapse of the partner, Tom helping her?
6. Alma and her past, her sister, father, memories of the boyfriend Tom in the past, her yearnings? Recreation of these memories?
7. Tom, suave, accent, the touch of British, courteous, anticipating thoughts, preparing breakfast, standing in the rain…?
8. Alma, her disappointment, her drinking, the return home, Tom and his manner, the sexual encounter and the consequences for her?
9. Sending him back? The encounters with the robotic woman, in charge of programming, the discussions, the philosophy of the robots, her visiting the house?
10. Tom, disappearance? Alma, her sadness, revisiting the past scene, Tom waiting for her?
11. The discussions with the colleague, his having a companion, his exhilaration and happiness with her?
12. Her report, against robots, the solid rational arguments against humans relying on them and losing to humanity?
13. And yet the final discussion with Tom, and her own feelings?