I'm Your Man

 3.5/4

Starring: Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens Sandra Huller

Rated R for Some Sexual Content and Language

"I'm Your Man" is a sci-fi romantic comedy.  Emphasis on the latter.  Although Maria Schrader's film touches on familiar themes that are brought up in every film that deals with artificial intelligence, this is primarily the kind of movie that, had it been made in the 90s, would have starred Meg Ryan.  This isn't "Ex Machina."  I'm fine with that; there's as much room for romantic fantasy as there is for hard science fiction.  More importantly, the central love story works.

Alma (Eggert) is a historian who has thrown herself into her work after a recent break up.  Her boss has signed her up for an experiment where she will live with a robot that is tailored to meet her every romantic need.  Alma has had enough of romance and doesn't want to do this, but with funding for an international research trip dangled in front of her, she agrees.  After all, it's for three weeks.  What can happen in three weeks?  If Alma watched any movies, she'd know that "plenty" would be an appropriate answer.  Sure enough, she's introduced to Tom (Stevens).  Tom is handsome, charming, and attempts to make her happy with every line of code he possesses.

It's hard to imagine a more bizarre choice for a romantic leading man than Dan Stevens.  He's not traditionally handsome (exotic, sure, but not one to make the heart skip a beat) and his eyes and voice make him a perfect candidate to play villains.  Just look at his performance in the cult thriller "The Guest," which is one of the most terrifying performances I've ever seen.  Yet it somehow totally works.  Stevens is absolutely charming.  He's so good that it's easy to overlook just how much thought he put into the character.  Initially, he tries too hard, says awkward things and his movements are too perfect to be normal.  But he is smart and learns fast.  More importantly, he understands that Alma's needs run deeper than flowers and champagne in the bathtub (complete with rose petals).

I don't know anyone who would turn down such a thing, but Alma would.  She doesn't want Tom there, preferring to live her life of solitude.  It may be lonely, but at least it's safe.  But Tom won't go away and does what he is programmed to do.  Her verbal brutality, which crosses the line into cruelty on more than one occasion, doesn't tase him.  The only time he gets angry is when she challenges him to do so.  It is a testament to the performance by Maren Eggert that Alma remains sympathetic even if some of the things she does are vile.  There is a bit of a charisma mismatch between her and Stevens, but the two make a good couple and have solid chemistry.

It would be unfair to label "I'm Your Man" as lightweight fluff.  It's more serious and insightful than that.  But Schrader's focus is on the romance aspect.  She's willing to explore deeper topics should they arise, but she correctly spends more time nurturing the deepening bond between Alma and Tom.  It may be a bit slow going at times, but with two winning performances and some solid laughs, it will satisfy a craving for lovers of the genre.

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