Pablo Berger's non-verbal animated feature, "Robot Dreams," is a rather unexpected entry in this year's Oscar race. A movie that wasn't all that widely known until its surprise Oscar nomination over popular entries like TMNT, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Suzume, this decision has definitely sparked some conversation in certain film circles. I personally am happy with the decision to go with "Robot Dreams" as it clearly has been nominated for its merits rather than its popularity... which should always be the undeniable standard.
"Robot Dreams" is a well-crafted movie of simple ambitions, with a focus on themes of friendship, loneliness, and the passing of time. Helped tremendously by the animation medium, you get the feeling that the movie is extremely precise in its messaging and awareness - where the lack of dialogue and the vivid world it's set in are able to draw out our attention to focus on the conflict and emotions being communicated. The humor is multi-layered, and so is the story, appealing just as much to adults as it would to teenagers.
It might be a bit of a slow watch at first for those who aren't all that interested in watching a dog bonding with a robot, but if you can patiently buy into the movie, it manages to make you care about it in a very rewarding way.
"Robot Dreams" is a well-crafted movie of simple ambitions, with a focus on themes of friendship, loneliness, and the passing of time. Helped tremendously by the animation medium, you get the feeling that the movie is extremely precise in its messaging and awareness - where the lack of dialogue and the vivid world it's set in are able to draw out our attention to focus on the conflict and emotions being communicated. The humor is multi-layered, and so is the story, appealing just as much to adults as it would to teenagers.
It might be a bit of a slow watch at first for those who aren't all that interested in watching a dog bonding with a robot, but if you can patiently buy into the movie, it manages to make you care about it in a very rewarding way.