Half brothers Michael and Bruno, polar opposites in almost every way, find a commonality when each is forced to deal with a seriously ill partner at the same time. Michael is a dedicated scientist who`s terrified of delving into a relationship; Bruno is a hedonist who indulges his every sexual fantasy. Based on the controversial novel by French writer Michel Houellebecq, director Oskar Roehler strips down the original material somewhat and focuses on two men with intimacy issues and tells a tale of destiny and self-destruction. The film is carried by superb performances from Moritz Bleibtreu and Christian Ulmen as two men at a crossroads in their lives, rejected by a self-centered mother, that reconnect in their pain.