You And I

By: Amos Lassen

Jonas (Eric Klotzsch) is a photographer who is constantly looking for his next great shot. He and his friend Philip (George Taylor), who is coming in from London, are preparing for a road trip through Germany is avoiding his girlfriend's phone calls while preparing for a summer road trip through Germany. They plan to find lakes and camp sites to visit, along with staying at empty homes belonging to friends. Jonas, quite naturally, has plans photograph. As they travel, they Boris (Michal Grabowski), a Polish traveler who joins them on their adventure. Philip is gay and, at first, he is initially cold towards Boris but after Jonas convinces them to participate together in some photos, the pair start to warm to each other. Boris harbors some feelings of homophobia but as the two get to know each other, things calm down and soon Boris is attracted to Philip. One night, after some heavy drinking, the two have sex while Jonas . When Jonas learns of this he tries to accept it but he does get upset and this him to examine his own feelings a about Philip and this changes everything.

At the center of the film is a deep friendship and everything around seems to move slowly. There is little dialogue and it is the photography of the film that stuns the eye with its gorgeous shots of nature. It is the slow pacing and many scenes that get the viewer thinking about what he sees on the screen.

Eric Klotzsch and George Taylor deliver skilful performances and watching their relationship come into being is a real treat. Because they are both handsome, there is a palpable sexual chemistry that is alluring and exciting. We see that hints of what is to happen were dropped all through the film but very subtly. If the viewer is watching closely, hints about their feelings for each other are subtlety dropped and it is what is not said rather than what the characters say to each other that is important here. Body language and subtext are important in this case. Michal Grabowski's Boris shows an understated uneasy personality that delicately upsets the balance of the triangle.

This is a quiet and reflective story that examines the nature of human relationships, the boundaries of friendship and finding the courage to express true feelings. Set against the backdrop of a summer road trip, two long-time friends are able to finally give into what has been simmering just below the surface after an encounter with a third person changes the dynamic and the stakes of their relationship.