You, Me and Him (2017)

Directed by: Daisy Aitkens | 98 minutes | comedy | Actors: David Tennant, Lucy Punch, Faye Marsay, David Warner, Sarah Parish, Christian Brassington, Gemma Jones, Nina Sosanya, Simon Bird, Sally Phillips, Peter Davison, Don Warrington, Ingrid Oliver, Sunetra Sarker, Sandra Dickinson, Rebecca Gethings

In ‘You, Me and Him’, Olivia (Lucy Punch) has life completely figured out. A reasonably good job, a nice relationship with aspiring artist Alex (Faye Marsay), a nice house in a quiet neighborhood. Everything has a box and runs as it should. The only thing missing is a family. The clock is ticking for 40-year-old Olivia, so she decides to have herself artificially fertilized without much consultation with her partner. Out of anger (in conjunction with a lot of alcohol), Alex ends up in bed with the wayward neighbor John (David Tennant). And yes, you can feel it coming, some time later both are pregnant and the turnips are done.

In this British comedy, the tone of the film is slightly more edgy than the standard American romkom. The characters are a bit weirder and the language a bit rougher. This gives the film and the slightly hysterical plot something refreshing. In any case, it is refreshing that the film has two lesbians in the lead and it is not about “accept the gay themes.” That is not to say that the two women and their absurd situation are not made fun of. Good use is made of the wonderfully dry British humor by all friends and family and the main characters are also not averse to a little self-mockery.

The two actresses really dare to show their ugliest side in their play. And that is wonderful to watch. Of course, the story calls for this as well. The entire pregnancy and all the ailments and discomforts that come with it are reviewed. This gives a nice enlargement of recognizable things.

What is also very surprising, is that ‘You, Me and Him’ also manages to hit at different moments. This is again due to strong playing, especially from Faye Marsay who also knows how to give her tough and free character a soft and emotional side.

As always with humor, the British humor of ‘You, Me and Him’ should suit you as a viewer. But the mere fact that it differs from the American blockbusters is a reason to see this film.