If you’ve heard of the movie Robot Dreams It was named one of the Top Five Best Animated Feature nominees at this year’s Oscars, prompting “What the hell is this?” you are not alone. This brave little film, directed by Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger, had a delightful time making its way to the United States. After a rave debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Robot Dreams It gradually spread to several other festivals and had a brief, overlooked Oscar nomination in the US. However, the film’s distributor, Neon, failed to introduce the film widely to America before the Oscars, leading many to question their release strategy and go so far as to claim that they completely ruined the film’s momentum.
While the question of whether the movie could have been bigger with a different approach to its release is justified, they fall by the wayside once you sit down in front of the movie. Robot DreamsIt draws you in from the opening shots of vividly illustrated 1980s New York City. Here, a two-legged dog named Dog languishes inside his apartment, canal surfing between rounds of Pong. The glare of his television distracts him from his window, where other animal pairs and friends enjoy spending time together. When Dog sees a TV commercial for a mail-order mechanical friend named Robot, he jumps at the chance to make some friends and Robot Dreams‘ sweet story begins.
The extent to which this dialogue-free animated film can take you in just 102 minutes is nothing short of masterful. The film is a visual and auditory masterwork, with delightful foley work and a beautifully composed score that keeps the pace at a pleasant pace. It is even more effective because the film has no dialogue. Robot Dreams targets your soul with a story that goes beyond language; hard emotional moments come from actions, not words. It may seem trite to say that love is the only language everyone can understand, but that doesn’t change its truth, and the film finds new and wonderful ways to show it. And though all is not so cheerful, Robot Dreams‘ The sadder moments make this strange story of friendship even more real.
In the first 20 minutes, Robot Dreams It brims with the sweet, sunny vibrancy of a hot summer day in the city. After Robot arrives, Dog collects his purchase and realizes that it was money well spent, although Robot needs some guidance in assimilating with the public. Two fast friends sipping Tab together as they wander the street past laundromats, bakeries, barber shops and electronics stores, each filled with their own unique furry characters. A trip to Central Park introduces the film’s narrative centerpiece, with Robot and Dog holding hands while looking for a place to skate. Seeing the two friends kill him on their skates, a nearby lion pulls out his stereo and the two skate dance to the song “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire.
A production from Robot Dreams.
Wild Bunch
This is a critical part of the needle drop Robot Dreams “September” is a great but classically overplayed song that never tires the audience out and will find its way into the story again and again. (I hear no argument to the contrary!) A lovely piano cover of the tune appears in the next scene, when Dog and Robot go to Coney Island to relax on the beach. Putting a robot in water seems like a risky move, and although this advanced technology can swim and dive, the Robot still needs some oil to move after contact with the ocean. This is a misstep that Dog does not realize, and when the beach closes and Robot cannot get up to leave with him, Dog tries in vain to help his friend, then tucks him in and leaves the house for the night, returning with him in the morning. Some oil to bring it home.
There’s only one problem: It was the end of the season and the beach is now closed until next summer. Although Dog tries everything he can – legal or otherwise – to get down to the beach to save his friend, he always runs into problems. This cheerful little film suddenly turns terribly bleak, but Berger and co-writer Sara Varon handle this shift with careful hands and realism. It’s a reminder that the occasional cracks in a friendship can sometimes be no one’s fault, but that doesn’t make them hurt any less. As the seasons change and Dog watches the calendar as he waits for the beach to reopen, both Dog and Robot realize that finding someone you’re truly close to is much harder than they thought.
Although this is a seemingly simple feeling, Robot Dreams it confirms this time and time again with gorgeously animated stories, giving viewers a little insight into what each character is up to. While Dog waits for his best friend to reach out to him again, he does his best to make a new friend, but connection proves difficult in the isolating world of New York City. But Robot’s time is a bit simpler, making it a useful staple for critters who frequent the beach in the off-season. At other times, Berger and Varon let us peek into Robot’s schedule; here she imagines fantasy scenarios in which she and Dog are reunited, leaving you grinning from ear to ear until we snap back to a colder reality.
Julio Torres’ ‘Fantasies’ Will Shock and Delight You
Robot Dreams‘s masterful balance between the warmth and cold indifference of its world is one of the film’s greatest strengths. Although the film’s vision of 1980s New York is filled with animals rather than people, it is no different from what we understand as ourselves. This is one of the clever tricks of the film: depicting friendship as an interspecies phenomenon that is not unique to humanity. Love and connection extend beyond what the human mind can comprehend and go down to the animal instincts of dogs, ducks, cats, giraffes, raccoons and more.
Of course, Dog eventually returns to the beach when it reopens. But the reunion doesn’t go the way he or the Robot hoped; its final act takes you on an intense journey; embarks on a journey that even the most hardened viewers cannot resist. It’s a melancholic statement, but it’s undeniably original. Sometimes we drift away and lose touch with the people we love. This is a natural phenomenon that no human being can prevent. But the love remains unwavering and comes rushing back when you see that old friend again. Berger and Varon don’t simplify it that much, but nothing about this film, which deals so intimately with the human condition, is simple. Robot Dreams He will embrace your heart before it breaks it, then he will put it back together, a little scarred but still working. See it with a friend who will care for yours with the same care.
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