“This is minimalist animation with maximum emotional impact. Gentle, elegant storytelling does that and it is at its most powerful when it’s least expected.“
Con Nats
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It’s not often animated movies are nominated in the Cannes Official Selection or get any attention, especially when a film maker prefers simple two-dimensional animation over what CGI can offer them.
Robot Dreams surprises with its approach and boldness in taking on adult themes such as friendship and solitude. And it avoids using celebrity voice-overs for publicity. It opts to use no dialogue at all.
It’s the eighties in New York and Dog Heron (which is the name of the author of the novel the story is based on) is a lonely canine who buys a robot to be his friend. Their friendship grows and there is a touch of Poor Things as Robot discovers this new world with an innocence. Unfortunately, Dog has to leave Robot on Ocean Beach when summer ends after he rusts and cannot move.
The story then goes into vignettes as Dog tries to rescue him, fails and then tries to fill in the void left in his life while waiting for summer. All Robot can do is dream. And wait.
(My only cynicism and criticism is that even in an animated film, product placement plays a big part.)
This story explores themes that other Academy Award nominees feature, such as innocence in a new world (Poor things) and solitude (Perfect Days) but does it all without using a word of dialogue. Just as good directors trust talented actors, director Pablo Berger trusts his animators and a moving storyline. It avoids a predictable mawkish resolution and I was surprised to be moved as much I was. I wondered if a child can handle such powerful emotions (they can) and by the bitter-sweet end I knew they would. There is so much real heart in this little love story.
Sure the animation is simple, as is the writing and direction. This is minimalist animation with maximum emotional impact. Gentle, elegant storytelling does that and it is at its most powerful when it’s least expected.
Con Nats, On The Screen
