Falling in love is easy, but maintaining that relationship is the challenge – so many stories have been built on this simple philosophical premise, it is surprising that people still tend to make the mistake when it comes to rushing into relationships that were never intended to last. No one seems to know this better than Rainer Kaufmann, who works with screenwriter Martin Rauhaus to direct Lost in Separation (German: Und wer nimmt den Hund?, translated as “And who takes the dog?”, a much more evocative title than the attempt at witty wordplay we received in the official English title), which centres on the trials and tribulations of Georg and Doris, a middle-aged, marginally wealthy couple who have decided that they have grown too far apart, and in a last ditch attempt to save their marriage (which is headed straight for divorce), they undergo counselling, where they are confronted with the harsh realities that they have both been avoiding for years. A very charming comedy that cannot help but feel slight at even the strongest of moments (since it doesn’t have a strong enough script, and the performances are good but slightly lacking in nuance), Lost in Separation is quite an achievement on both a narrative and conceptual level, even if it doesn’t fully embrace its full potential. It is difficult to not be thoroughly enchanted by this film, which does extremely well with investigating certain issues, and while it may be the very definition of conventional in numerous ways, there is something very profound about seeing a story so thoroughly dedicated to examining the art of the human condition with this level of admiration and emotional resonance, even if it doesn’t develop its ideas as appropriately as it perhaps may have deserved.

It is clear from the start of the film that Lost in Separation was written and directed by two artists who have been working for quite a while, since it carries the sense of ease and simplicity that comes when someone is fully comfortable in their craft, and can therefore afford to make a few decisions based on convenience rather than artistic resonance. This is an old-fashioned romantic comedy, a throwback to those hopelessly predictable but undeniably lovable American films that populate the 1990s, where the idea of love was called into question, and we follow these characters as they navigate themes of love and marriage, all of which is done in vivid detail, almost as if this is striving to be the definitive work on the process of getting divorced (which is obviously untrue, but still something that this film clearly indicates as being a motivating factor in its writing), and the eventual reconciliation that nearly always comes at the end of these stories. This film is extraordinarily conventional, and there is very little that Rauhaus’ script has to say about love that had not been said many times over in previous decades, and there is nothing in Kaufmann’s direction that indicates that he was interested in breaking with tradition. These are two men who have been working since the 1980s, so their entire careers have their genesis in the period in which films like Lost in Separation were at their peak, so it only makes sense that this would be more of a nostalgic endeavour for them, rather than an exercise in seeing how they can provoke and challenge conventions. This is not a criticism – if anything, this film proves the virtue and merit of doing something the same as it has always been done, since a film that cannot be original can at the very least strive to be reliable.

In following the pattern set by the romantic comedies that influenced it, Lost in Separation is undeniably a character-based film, and as a result, a lot of the story depends on the performances. Inarguably, there is nothing revelatory or particularly special about the actors and their approach to portraying these characters – they’re conventional figures that don’t require much from the actors, and they weren’t tailor-made to specific performers, which essentially meant just about anyone could have stepped into these roles and been relatively successful. However, this doesn’t disqualify us from acknowledging how strong the leads of the film were, especially since there is something very special about how they both approach these characters. Both Ulrich Tukur and Martina Gedeck are highly celebrated actors in their native Germany, having played a wide range of roles across a variety of films, many of which have expanded beyond their native borders and brought them wider exposure to the global audience. Lost in Separation is such a simple film that the decision to cast such experienced actors almost seems like a waste – yet they both prove that they are welcoming the chance to do something more lighthearted and less emotionally and physically strenuous, which is certainly reflected in their performances. Neither of them is all that remarkable, but they do bring a level of honesty and wit to these characters that likely comes from experience. They might not have been the only actors would could have successfully played these roles, but they do well enough with the material to convince us that they were a perfect fit, which is one of their great skills, and something that Kaufmann makes sure to emphasise throughout the film.

As far as the components that went into the creation of Lost in Separation go, the concept of originality was relatively low on the list of priorities. Arguably, a film like this does not need to be original, and such a demand is somewhat unreasonable on the part of the viewer, since there is nothing promised by the premise that indicates that there was any concerted effort to challenge or subvert the way this film tells its stories. Instead, we have a story of a group of people who are changing their family structure, but which gradually falls apart as they learn that their perfect life was not nearly as immune to challenges as they initially expected. This is a very traditional film in terms of the way it explores these issues, both in terms of the story beats (which are extremely predictable) and the emotions used to tell the story. The script throws in several cliches that don’t quite work as well as they should, but they are inoffensive enough not to cause too much of a scandal. We also have a plot structure that follows a strict pattern – regardless of how much it tries to employ a pendular approach of oscillating between the past and present (with the couple’s marital therapy sessions serving as the impetus for the flashbacks that populate most of the film), the same narrative process is employed in constructing this film, which is very simple and perhaps slightly dull, especially since this is a film that is so tied to the conventions of the genre, we can grow bored by the realization that we’ve seen these scenarios played out countless times previously. However, as we mentioned above, this film trades originality for reliability, which is a fair exchange, especially for a film that doesn’t aspire to be anything other than what is presented to us at the start. There is always going to be a happy ending, regardless of how tense the preceding hour was – this is just the process, and this film was made by seasoned veterans who were not interested in experimenting any longer, but instead just embracing the conventions and delivering something unexciting but still objectively solid and meaningful.

There is something about Lost in Separation that allows us to overlook some of its more glaring flaws – in no uncertain terms, this is not a particularly good film, nor is it one that carries itself with any sense of complexity or compassion, at least not more than we would initially expect from this material. Instead, we have a reliable story of a relationship that is seemingly falling apart at the seams, but which we soon realize is just indicative of the inevitable process of coming to terms with a different kind of reality, changes to a marriage that don’t necessarily signal its demise, but rather impels both parties to take a more pensive look at their contributions to their relationship, working to improve themselves by way of undergoing this existential journey. This does make it seem like Lost in Separation is a far more complex film than it actually is, or that it isn’t essentially just 90 minutes of cliches sewn together by a paper-thin narrative. However, it does offer enough value to earn our time, and it certainly doesn’t run too long, so it never overstays its welcome. It is a fun, entertaining and very charming comedy that knows how to approach the material without it feeling overwrought or unnecessarily convoluted, and even when it is hopelessly predictable, it feels like it is offering us enough to maintain our attention. It does everything it needed to do, and steps aside with every intention of leaving us with a few specks of thought, but otherwise nothing more than just a funny and insightful story about two people who undergo a lengthy process of psychological torment and despair, only to realise that they truly do love one another after all.