20 years is a long time to be in a relationship with someone. It’s probably pretty hard to keep things the same level of intensity as it was when it first started. At times that could lead to people looking for something somewhere else either on purpose or accident. The film 3 by Tom Tykwer explores this in this drama set in Germany.

Hanna and Simon have been together for close to 20 years. They have no children and at this point a pretty mundane point in their relationship. They are still in love with each other but something seems to missing. Simon learns his mother has cancer and she dies. He also gets inflicted with cancer and starts to really question where his life going and his mortality. Hanna is very distant and focused on her work in science yet there seems to be no real joy in it. Until she meets Adam.

This is an interesting quiet film. It starts you out in an intimate moment between Hanna and Simon before you even know them or what this film may be about. Then it seems to switch focus and show you a bunch of different things at the same time on screen before it decides to focus on one of the main characters. While interesting it is a bit jarring the first time. The second time you’re used to it and then the third time it’s used by then it doesn’t seems to fit or is needed anymore in the film.

Sophie Rois plays Hanna in the film. Hanna is not really that likable of a person in the ways she treats Simon. Rois does a good performance but it hard at times to sit through those scenes because the character is at so unlikable. Sebastian Schipper plays Simon and does a good job with his character and making it believable all the changes in personality that Simon is going through because of the current goings on in his life and his relationship with Hanna. Devid Striesow gives and interesting performance of a man that is a mix of Puck like character and a very quiet stoic man.

There are moments when he has a mischieious smile to that of a person lost in his own world. His character as the film goes on the most interesting and captivating part of the film.

Overall 3 is a very engaging film with it’s look on a long standing relationship. There is no real Hollywood type of way they solve their issues or have epiphanies about problems in their lives at the right perfect moment. The film though at time moves at what feels a snails pace and at times forgets about some characters. Also the climax and resolution felt a tad bit rushed. The editing in the film outshined the cinematography in that the setting of Germany just felt like some generic modern European city. Even with that all said 3 is very much worth the time to go see it.

FINAL GRADE: B

Originally published on Reel Film News