3 (2010)

A Berlin-set drama centered on a 40-something couple who, separately, fall in love with the same man.

Director:

Tom Tykwer

Writer:

Tom Tykwer

Stars:

Sophie Rois, Sebastian Schipper, Devid Striesow

8 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sophie Rois	...	Hanna
Sebastian Schipper	...	Simon
Devid Striesow	...	Adam
Angela Winkler	...	Hildegard
Annedore Kleist	...	Lotte
Alexander Hörbe	...	Dirk
Winnie Böwe	...	Petra
Hans-Uwe Bauer	...	Dr. Wissmer
Carina N. Wiese	...	Schwester Ruth (as Carina Wiese)
Dominique Chiout	...	Clara
Marita Hueber	...	Martha
Michael Gerber	...	Vorsitzender Ethikrat
Thomas Neumann	...	Wissenschaftler Ethikrat
Cornelius Schwalm	...	Volker Müller
Edgar M. Böhlke	...	Simons Vater

Storyline

A Berlin-set drama centered on a 40-something couple who, separately, fall in love with the same man.

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Plot Keywords:

romantic triangle | female nudity | menage a trois | male nudity | homosexual relationship | 

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Taglines:

Imagine the possibilities.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

23 December 2010 (Germany)

Also Known As:

3

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,821, 18 September 2011, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$59,774, 18 December 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

X-Filme Creative Pool,Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR),ARD Degeto Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

During the break of the play, Adam joins Hanna outside. He brings 2 bottles of mineral water, hands one to Hanna and both take a sip while talking. Both bottles are already half-empty, presumably due to previous takes.

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Connections

References The Birds (1963)

User Reviews

A Seventies movie in new clothing

Tom Tykwer is the alleged writer and director of the movie "Run Lola Run." Lola was very contemporary, very fast, very cleverly constructed, shock full of witty ideas. Other movies from his filmography have a very distinct Seventies art house film feel to them - Deadly Maria, Winter Sleepers, Heaven and 3. They are painfully slow, full of empty self importance, cover subjects middle aged teachers tend to consider important in life. Except for the name Tom Tykwer they don't have too much in common with "Lola". Don't let the name fool you.

Sophie Rois (Hanna) is certainly a strange choice for the leading role in a "Folie a Trois". She doesn't look too nice, is much older than her two male love interests, has a terrible voice and - as Hanna - a personality that would probably drive most men away from her. Hanna is in a long time relationship with Simon (Sebastian Schipper) that obviously went stale quite some time ago. By pure chance she's meets the handsome Adam (Devid Striesow) and has sex with him the first time the same day Simon is told he's got testicular cancer and subjected to surgery on the spot. Losing a testicle must have turned him into half a man, because shortly afterwards he has a chance encounter with the handsome Adam that turns into his first homosexual experience. Good for him that while homosexuality is genetic and has nothing to do with free will, heterosexuality isn't, right?

Will the two pairs end up as "Three"? That's actually the big question, the whole story of this movie. Tykwer uses a lot of decoration to make it look more important. Hanna is the presenter of a TV Art Show, Simon works in the art business, Adam in the stem-cell research. Simons mother gets cancer and ends up as a yummy piece of art. Lots of opportunities to touch important issues and show interesting scenes. But even though Tykwer used a budget that in the Seventies would have been enough to make quite a few independent films he manages to present it all in an extremely dull way. You actually feel sorry for all this people with their very fashionable jobs and their shallow existences. Compared to this, the "Menage a Trois" really shines. "3" is part of the pseudo-intellectual art world it so knowingly depicts.

When Simon wears his woolly hat and thick glasses he resembles quite a lot the everyday appearance of Dani Lewy, co-owner and co-founder of Tykwer's production company, with his angular shaped face Adam looks quite a bit like timid Tykwer himself. Just saying. Just looking for a reason.

I don't know if I missed any kind of explanation for the very strange effects the castration in this movie has. I could easily dismiss it as an embarrassing goof or an inane plot device. But when the end is near even some plants show a surprisingly combative spirit and don't just wither away. The basis topic of "Three" is the midlife crisis, the period in life when people suddenly want much more of things they once had or something completely new. Someone in this troublesome age might find this movie quite interesting, and the ending inspiring, uplifting, depressing or allegorically profound.