dan stevens

I’m Your Man, directed by Maria Schrader, revolves around a robotic dreamboat who is part of a study involving companions who are tailored-made for one human’s personality and emotional needs. In the case of middle-aged academic Alma (Maren Eggert) — who just broke up with a co-worker — she signs on to the three-week experiment in order to fund her own research project. That requires her to live with non-human Tom (Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame, the most valuable player in the cast who constantly ups the humor ante with much aplomb. And take a moment to consider that this English actor had to learn German for his role).

I’m Your Man manages to be both feminist and romantic at the same time. Writer-director Maria Shrader has given audiences a think piece about love, trauma, loneliness, and the role of technology. The choice to make Alma a fiercely independent scientist specializing in anthropology is incredibly clever. She studies ancient cuneiform in an attempt to prove the early use of poetry and metaphor. Juxtaposed we have Tom a humanoid supercomputer programmed to be Alma’s ideal mate. For three weeks, Alma must report on Tom’s effectiveness. Is her scientific, skeptical mind standing between her and true love?

It isn’t easy to dramatize our complex emotional needs in an entertaining fashion through the involvement of an accomplished female anthropologist and a humanoid male robot. But that is exactly what German director Maria Schrader does in I’m Your Man. Interpreting Sumerian cuneiform tablets, anthropologist Dr. Alma Felser agrees to a three week trial and evaluation of the robot Tom.