I'm Your Man

Alma finds herself at a lively dance club, where she is introduced to Tom by an employee. During their interaction, Alma tests Tom with a challenging math problem and queries him about the nuances of his favorite poem, to which he responds effortlessly. As Tom invites her to dance, an unexpected glitch occurs and he starts to repeat himself. He is quickly whisked away, revealing the truth: he is a robot.

The employee expresses his apologies to Alma, informing her that she is among just ten specialists invited to assess their robots. He reassures her that they will rectify the glitch, allowing her to commence her three-week evaluation project the following day.

Later, Alma meets with Roger, her department head at the Pergamon Museum. She ridicules the extensive tests she underwent only to meet her “ideal man,” deriding Tom and asserting her readiness to submit her evaluation. Roger reminds her of her commitment to the three-week assessment, emphasizing the importance of her expert opinion for the ethics committee that will determine whether robots should be granted certain human rights. To sweeten the deal, he promises to secure funding for Alma and her team to visit Chicago to see invaluable cuneiform tablets firsthand if she completes the experiment.

After their meeting, Julian, a colleague, invites Alma to his housewarming party so she can meet his new girlfriend, Steffi.

Alma also visits her father, who is showing signs of memory decline. Soon after, she decides to take Tom home. Over the next several days, despite his romantic overtures, she finds herself resisting his advances. One morning, Julian shows up unannounced to retrieve a picture, hinting at a past relationship between him and Alma.

As the story unfolds, Alma introduces Tom to her colleagues at the museum, where he unexpectedly alerts her about another researcher who has already published work on their subject. Provoked by this revelation, Alma ends up drinking heavily and confronts Tom at her apartment, questioning his capacity to experience anger and how he is programmed to respond sexually. Tom, however, chooses to comfort her by laying her down to rest, simply stating that she needs sleep.

The following day, the employee returns for an evaluation. Alma admits that Tom’s programming is satisfactory but grows irritated when the employee suggests she’s treating him as a mere machine. This leads her to a startling realization that the employee is also a robot, prompting her to order her out of her apartment. She subsequently apologizes to Tom for her earlier conduct.

In a tender moment, Alma takes Tom to visit her father. She and her sister Cora reminisce over old photographs and evoke memories of a childhood friend named Tom from Denmark, whom they both cherished. This moment is followed by their attendance at Julian’s housewarming, where Steffi unexpectedly faints. Thanks to Tom, she is saved from falling. Alone with Julian, Alma inquires whether Steffi might be pregnant, which he confirms.

However, in the privacy of her apartment, Alma reveals the trauma of a previous miscarriage. Tom becomes aware of Alma’s dread of what’s to come, especially the loneliness she perceives as akin to her father’s condition. Overcome with emotion, Alma storms out of her apartment, noticing Tom searching for her outside. She follows him to the museum, where they sneak in and share a passionate moment together in the shadows.

The next morning, Alma wrestles with the idea of continuing her relationship with a machine. Resolving to end the experiment prematurely, she tells Tom she cannot interact with him any longer. When he asks about his fate, she struggles to convey that she can’t simply return him, asserting that she needs him.

Alma proceeds to record her evaluation for Roger, articulating her belief that having every human need met is detrimental. Soon after, she is surprised to learn from the employee that Tom has not returned to the factory as she had presumed — he has gone missing. Determined to find him, Alma travels back to Denmark and discovers Tom waiting patiently in the very spot where her childhood friend once sat.

In a poignant exchange, Alma shares how she used to envision her friend next to her while closing her eyes, only to find he had never truly been there when she opened them. With the memories flooding her mind, she closes her eyes once more.

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 12:08