I'm Here

Even with just a few minutes, the director establishes very well the way robots live, the lonely, sad and complicated life they live, and the way they relate to each other and to the world around them. I confess I didn't expect it to be so touching. Even not "appearing" on the scene (the actors are covered by some kind of mask that imitates a safe or PC tower) the body language and the dialogues are both very good.

Apparently, for Sheldon all that matters is Francesca's well-being.

I understand that this is perhaps the director trying to demonstrate what love would be in the vision of the machines, but I still think that Sheldon missed a bit of self-respect. I´m aware that maybe I'm here judging too much based on my condition as a human being.

Another thing that I noticed, at no time does the girl's life appear, I mean, what she does, who she lives with, but we started the film seeing that Andrew Garfield's character has routines, rides the bus, works in the library, that makes we relate better to him than to her.

He was clearly in love with the girl, liked and valued her more than he did to himself. At some point I caught myself thinking that maybe she wouldn't show up to pick him up at work for whatever reason. Something that indeed happens at the end, but the reason is much more dramatic. I recommend you watch it and see if you agree with me or not.

A beautiful adaptation and reimagining of the giving tree. My favourite book, a book which captures a feeling, some beautiful sadness, one I can only describe as grieving once the distress has left. This feeling sticks with you long after you've read it.

This short takes this feeling and latches onto it, interestingly through both the atmosphere/setting and the love story between the characters.

As a side note I think this was some ad for absolute vodka? Are they advertising towards depressed alcoholics? Maybe genius I guess.

Selfless sacrifice in the android community given the warm, soft focused, fuzzy treatment in a well realised near future world.

The latest short film from director Spike Jonze, I'm Here gives an interesting look at an alternative world, where robotic humanoids live and work alongside the regular population.

Sheldon, such a robot, lives a life of frugal urban mundanity, trapped in an existence devoid of particular discernible meaning. Working as a librarian, he goes about his daily routine, shy and timid, yet yearning for more in his simplistic, ritualistic and empty life. Seeing Francesca, a fembot, whilst waiting for a bus one day, he admires her spirit and liveliness. Befriending her gradually, the two slowly come to fall in love.

I'm Here rapidly and effectively establishes the life of Sheldon: vacuous, monotonous, and incomplete. The simple emptiness of his apartment combines with the austerity of his surroundings to paint an intimate portrait of isolation and loneliness in a world bigger than he; his eyes containing the key faint glimmer of hope of escape from this prison of perfunctory tasks. With staggering special effects, this world is brought perfectly to life, the robots' existence seeming entirely conceivable and their intermingling with society appearing completely normal. The limited facial expressions of the electrical characters often achieve a great deal more than their mammalian counterparts, demonstrating the wonder of the animation. Francesca gives the quintessential antithesis to Sheldon, showing us all he is not though the boldness and fun loving nature of her character. Their pairing is a wonderful one, the effect they have on each other seen immediately and splendidly, the individual characteristics of each impacting upon the other. Sheldon's development is the film's centrepiece, his evolution from the banal emptiness of his previous life to the fulfilling and stimulating one with his new friend accomplished masterfully. Without the advantage of physical intercourse, Jonze is restricted in his realisation of this relationship, yet manages in thirty minutes to give us what most directors can only hope to achieve in three times that. His story is both simple and engaging, moving and uplifting despite its lack of complication, showing us the transcendent power of love.

A miniature gem, I'm Here is involving, engaging, thrilling and uplifting. Jonze once again proves his cinematic brilliance, giving us a fantastic viewing experience, and one which promises to remain in mind for a long time.

Spike Jonze is a director known for over-the-top high concept music videos and yet his films are always so emotional and subtle.

Many scenes in this film moved me yet I can't put my finger on why. It captures the loneliness of a big city, but how just a few friends and a sweetheart can cure that empty feeling. Everything is kept so simple as to be universal.

The look of the robots is very retro and ironic. They look older than the computer I am writing this on by maintaining the boxy gray look of a computer from the late 90s. In many ways this short seems to take place in LA during the 90s. Everything seems dated.

I won't say much about the relationship at the center of the story but I do wonder if it is meant to be dysfunctional or not. Let's just say it reaches a very one-sided place in terms of giving more than you get in a relationship. The ending is moving but also a bit creepy when you consider the reality of what has been sacrificed to save a casual lover.