Electroma

I saw Daft Punk's Electroma late last night at the Stockholm Filmfestival. This was right after seeing Gondry's "The Science of Sleep" which was brilliant! This evening turned out to be a great french evening.. Even though I have always been a big fan of Daft Punk's music, especially their live performances, I didn't really think that I would enjoy Electroma that much, but I was wrong! I was really touched by this story of two Robots (the members in daft punk) trying to become human. The theme is similar to that of their latest album "Human After All". It reminded me of Kubrick/Spielberg's "A.I", but Electroma is much more symbolical and humans play a less important role. The movie depicts the robots desire to be unique and human, and just like "Stalker" and other Tarkovsky movies the scenes are very long and for the most part there is no music just background noise, this made me really get into the movie. The whole movie is fantastic but the high rating is mostly due to the ending which is crazy good! I don't know if Daft Punk's robot-era is over after this movie, but I'm looking forward to seeing more stuff from them.

This is probably a movie that many people might find boring because it is a very silent and slow movie (heard a guy in front of me snoring..) but give it a chance... The french are not as stupid as the look!

oh and the music is not daft punk, but I heard some Brian Eno and Curtis Mayfield, overall the music choices were excellent! Merci;)

If you're a fan of Daft Punk you aren't automatically going to like this movie. And if you're not a fan of Daft Punk you aren't automatically going to dislike it. No music by Daft Punk. No dialog or flashing helmet text. Ambient sound. And Curtis Mayfield.

Electroma plays like a festival art film, yet it's more accessible to the audience than the "Cremaster" movies and more thoughtful and varied than "Zidane". In essence, the movie comprises five set pieces. It opens with a drive through the desert, then a town. The second set involves becoming human. They then re-enter the robot world in a Frankenstein-esquire reversal, playing off of Icarus. The fourth part brings the sad realization of returning to robotic roots. Fifth, they walk through a desert, which comprises the longest part of the film.

I recommend it for the art-house/festival crowd. No dialog, an atypical plot-line, and lengthy sweeping pans will certainly turn away some fans. It is pretentious to a degree, I won't deny it, but compared to Cremaster (an unfair comparison, yes, but it's the most widely seen), Electroma doesn't require pre-emptive knowledge for the deciphering of the symbols, which tells you what you're watching. You can absorb it without extreme cerebral input.

It's slow. Like Tarkovsky or Herzog. Don't expect hyperactive techno robots.

You'll be hard-pressed to find this film, as Daft Punk does not intend to ever release this film on DVD. See it at a festival or snag a bootleg. It's worth the time.

(www.plasticpals.com) Electroma is the story of two robots (Daft Punk) who break from the norm to express their inner individuality in a world populated by robots, with disastrous consequences. This is an experimental film with no dialog whatsoever, running a generous 74 minutes, and some people may feel it drags on a bit in parts. Even fans of Daft Punk may be left scratching their heads since it doesn't feature their music but, supposedly, it syncs up with their album Human After All ala Pink Floyd/Wizard of Oz. If you are not into experimental film you will probably much prefer their animated excursion, Interstella 5555, which I highly recommend.

I haven't tried synchronizing it to their album but I enjoyed it just fine, though it should be said I'm a fan of unusual movies. The photography is very professional considering they are amateur film makers, and there's enough here to keep your interest, all without the need for words. I hope they'll continue exploring their visual creativity through cinema in the future, and if it sounds like something you might enjoy, check it out.

If anything, Electroma should be taken just like any other experimental, art-house cinema film. This is borderline impossible when it's not just Electroma, but "Daft Punk's" Electroma, the tag line is "It's a Daft Punk vision" and you've got the Daft Punk logo emblazoned on the back of the two protagonists' jackets. For this, I feel like the film falters from a bit of ego, but just think how much worse it would've been if they'd used their own music.

That being said, as a so-called art-house picture, Electroma is okay. There isn't much plot to follow and the "HUMAN" license plate is about as trite as calling this an interpretation of the difficulties of fitting into society, but in terms of something to look at, it's really really gorgeous. Considering Bangalter had little to no experience in cinematography prior to this, he's done a fantastic job. Each shot is quite beautiful in its own way, aesthetically speaking, particularly the final one.

What I'm trying to say is, don't go into Electroma expecting brilliance, because it isn't. Take it for what it is: a mildly pretentious if not borderline dull, yet visually stunning piece of celluloid. It's ripe for interpretation (or none at all) which will grant it some sort of cult following. Hopefully a midnight-film of sorts.

P.S. The soundtrack they did choose complements the film perfectly. And if "the" notorious desert close-up scene doesn't get this passed around film circles for years to come, I don't know what will.

It's hard to pin point precisely what makes this film so relevant in this time. It could be the fact that our society is so instantly nostalgic that we've forgotten what nostalgia truly means, or that we've lost hope for what an art film can and cannot be. Either way this film has captured the essence of life in somewhat of an overdrawn extended metaphor that rings in your ears like a time bomb that desperately needed to be set off. It remains as no surprise to me, having recently rediscovered Daft Punk's music, that such a collaboration of sound and image can truly transcend above all boundary, and re ignite an artist's passion for the cinema. Funny enough it should take a duo of french electronic musicians to do so. The film's beauty lies in it's simplicity of story and it's complexity of motivation. The film's brilliance lies in it's gorgeous cinematography complimented by a haunting and all too perfect score. If you are looking for a film that will stimulate you on a level that will challenge and inspire you to fully comprehend, then this is a film for you. But be warned...the story is one that could have been told in 20 minutes, told over a period of an hour and 20 minutes. If you cannot take art seriously and become easily angered or frustrated when a film doesn't spoon feed you the plot, then stay away! It has been said that this film compares to Gus Van Sant's Elephant, or possibly Vincent Gallo's Brown Bunny, mostly for the long continuous takes scattered throughout the film. The difference here is that these shot are motivated whereas in Elephant, Gus Van Sant forgot he was making a movie and fell asleep during his shoot. Some may disagree, but Gus Van Sant doesn't know his ass from his elbow and I defy him to make a film as meaningful and well executed as Electroma. The imagery is beautiful, the setting is spiritual, and the music is touching. Top notch film making from two guys who have a lot to say, but can do so without any words at all. Brilliant.