102. Robot Dreams; movie review

 

ROBOT DREAMS

Cert PG

102 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild rude humour

Who knew an animation without any dialogue would work quite as well as Pablo Berger's Robot Dreams?

This is the occasionally amusing, occasionally sad story of a lonely dog and his loving relationship with a robot.

It is set in 1984 in New York, where the friendless dog is seen playing the very early game of computer tennis and heating a macaroni cheese microwave meal.

So he takes delivery of parts for a make-it-yourself robot and the two become best friends.

This is a New York community where everyone, from the barber to layabout punks and a busking octopus, is a cartoon animal.

Meanwhile, the robot marvels at simple activities with the dog, such as holding hands, and his excitement ratchets up as he roller-skates to Earth Wind & Fire's September.

It becomes the pair's theme tune.

But after a happy day sunbathing on the last day of summer, the robot becomes marooned on the beach, stuck in the sand.

Dog tries everything to rescue him and becomes increasingly desperate, but months pass and he has to face a bleak winter alone as robot dreams of an escape from the beach.

Robot Dreams benefits from some super observations by Berger, who also wrote the screenplay. His characters are so finely drawn that we feel great empathy for them.

I can certainly see why it is Oscar-nominated.

Reasons to watch: Amiable animation

Reasons to avoid: No speech

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The film is based on the comic of the same name by Sara Varon.

The final word. Pablo Berger: "I had never imagined making an animated movie but the story of the book left an impression on me. It made me laugh and dream. It surprised me and made me reflect on friendship and its fragility, on how to overcome the end of a relationship. The soul of this story pushed me to make Robot Dreams." Festival de Cannes

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