You, Me and Him
Daisy Aitkens’s first feature film, You, Me and Him, follows same-sex couple Olivia (Lucy Punch) – a lawyer approaching 40 – and Alex (Faye Marsay) – a struggling artist in her 20s – as they decide to have a child together. However, when Alex, who’s initially reluctant to have a family, becomes pregnant after sleeping with their recently divorced neighbour John (David Tennant), this unlikely threesome must learn to get along. Although this vibrant British comedy might be tackling some new territory, it’s still very much a by the numbers and painfully unfunny movie.
Utterly predictable, You, Me and Him is nothing that we haven’t seen before in terms of plot beats and punchlines. Relying on cheap gags and slapstick, it’s rare that any of the jokes land. Moreover, the humour is made more awkward with its reliance on an outdated viewpoint of sexuality and normative family values, which only highlights just how out of touch the story is.
Likewise, from a filmmaking standpoint this is nothing special either. Full of bright colours and a feel-good pop soundtrack, this is a piece of cinema made to be pleasing for the masses and nothing else. With no standout moments or risks taken, this is just another one of many mediocre romantic comedies doomed to be forgotten.
The likability isn’t helped either by the flat characterisation of the three leads, whose traits are firmly planted in the stereotypes of posh lady, striving artist, and male hipster. Additionally, when each plot point results in Olivia and Lucy arguing and then reconciling, it becomes difficult to believe they were ever a functional couple before the chaos ensued. This reliance on a make-up-and-break-up cycle not only makes the central couple almost unbearable, but renders the film repetitive as we sit through the same conflicts over and over again. Whereas the central couple are borderline intolerable, Tennant’s character feels underused. With hints of emotional complexity poking through in the actor’s performance, having his character serve as the butt of a joke seems wasteful.
Agonisingly unfunny and unoriginal throughout, You, Me and Him is a bland experience for all.
Andrew Murray
You, Me and Him does not have a UK release date yet.
Read more reviews from our Glasgow Film Festival 2018 coverage here.
For further information about the event visit the Glasgow Film Festival website here.
Watch the trailer for You, Me and Him here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Nf39vrdWo&t=84s
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