Electroma

First off, let me say that this film is 74 minutes of long scenes that go on with atmospheric non-daft punk music played to them, the narrative is there and it is a simple yet effective story but their is no dialogue. In other words you will have to be patient and have to want to watch this film in order to properly experience it.

Story: 9/10 The story is a very simple tale of wanting be be something else and society not being ready to except new things. It is simply about two robots who want to be human. Their is no dialogue in the film and no "face acting" as the bots wear helmets, but the story is easy to follow.

Acting: 8/10 For what the acting is worth it is very good, as mentioned before there is no speech or human activity in the film, but that is the point. The robots feel robotic and even though there is no verbal communication emotions are put across very effectively through simple touches that actors add to their characters, for example the movement off the characters arms when they walk is slightly robotic, yet when one of the robots stares at a mirror we feel sadness through the portrayal. To understand what I mean you need to experience the film.

Visuals:10/10 The visuals in this film are fantastic for first time directors. Think Stanley Kubrick mixed with Ridley Scott sprinkled with David Lynch. The camera work is superb and the images in the film are striking. Sun drenched deserts, Children is steel helmets, robots marrying and slow motion burning to mention a few.

Audio: 9/10 The music in this film is not by Daft Punk but features music from Brian Eno and Jackson C. Frank as well as others. The music is amazing in some places (the last scenes music fits perfectly and has a haunting effect. Even though the music is not Daft Punk it is a brilliant score.

Overall: 9/10 A brilliantly slow film, excellently crafted and remenicent of Lynch and Kubrick, this is a film that requires patience, but those who are willing will be very pleased with the results.

(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.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest whether people think this film references others or not. That's irrelevant because it just works - it's delightfully simple, beautifully shot, visually arresting and surprisingly poetic.

Part of the charm of this film is both the fun (the makeover) and then the quite moving climax in the desert. It works against all your expectations of Daft Punk (and their music) and in many ways this is what makes this also quite special. The choice of music is sublime, and the pace itself becomes quite hypnotic. In fact the pace seems to be one thing that people use to critique this film as though it's somehow pretentious..which itself is an absurd and dimwitted comment really, because the playful charm of the silent characters themselves is anything but pretentious. Hell, if that's pretentious, the world needs a lot more of it because we are drowning in the bile spewing from the Hollywood trough.

As an older Daft Punk fan, probably more in tune with their own age and tastes i loved this film. Also worth a mention that there's a very Kubrick-esquire 2001 look to one scene (thumbs up there!)

Ignore the doubters. Sit back and immerse yourself in Electroma. In time this will definitely considered a classic concept film by one of the more innovative electronic artists of our age.

Human After All

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.

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.