Pablo Berger’s new Spanish-French production is an unmissable story for children. She is nominated for an Oscar in her field, although she has difficult competitors
“Robot Dreams”, by Pablo Berger, or “My robot friend”, as they also call it for clarityit is a very drawing original, full of tenderness, wit and buying characters, and touches deep feelings without cheap shots. It talks (it’s a saying, because no one talks there) about friendship, loneliness, meanness, the need to take care of your friend, let him go if necessary, and heal the wounds when you have lost him, although it seems that well-retreaded robots can Having a new life is not a matter of grieving so much.
Protagonists, a lonely dog, a robot to build and love, which the dog takes as a companion in games and walks, and then a skilled raccoon, living in New York in the ’80s, some nice, cheerful, sometimes bittersweet, and sometimes disturbing episodes. Other animals walk around there, each with their merits and defects, and a very good snowman, and you can hear it from the “September” from Earth, Wind and Fire to Vivaldi, Tata Guerra, the whistler Ayna Ziordia and, in the background, beautiful piano themes by Alfonso de Villalonga. On the other hand, the protagonists are never heard, just as in the Berger’s previous film, a gothic, Hispanic and bullfighting “Snow White”, fascinating and terrible. When one knows how to express oneself with images, dialogues can be dispensable.
By the way, An image from the film seems to recall that of Snow White in her glass cage. It’s a matter of being attentive. There are more winks for viewers who like the recognition game. There appear, for example, the notes of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, the path of “The Wizard of Oz”, the girls of “The Shining”, Pierre Etaix’s “Yo Yo” and, without exhausting the list, dozens of flowers dancing tap dance in a Busby Berkeley type choreography. There are also personal nods, from the bag with the Spain 82 World Cup mascot that the dog carries to the Berger Corp. brand on the box where the disassembled robot comes.
Pablo Berger, it is worth remembering this name, and that of Benoit Féroumont, animation director. Together, the Spaniard and the Frenchman reworked the comic “Robot Dreams”, by the North American Sara Varon. Well, more than reworking, they made something superior, from the design of the dog (by making his snout smaller it was funnier) to the dreams of the tin friend, beautiful and sad dreams. Anthological moment, a morning of sweet and singular poetry where the unfortunate man who cannot move because he is rusty helps a little bird to take its first flight. Another, the moment when the dog draws the face of his friend on the wet window of a bus… Exceptional film no matter how you look at it, I hope it wins the Oscar.
Indeed, this Spanish drawing is a candidate for an Oscar. It is difficult for him, because he must compete with the new “Spider-Man”, “Elements”, “Nimona” and the Japanese “The Boy and the Heron”, but, even so, it will surely reach a good percentage of votes. And if she loses, it doesn’t matter. It has already won about 20 important awards at Annecy (the world’s largest event for animated cinema), Sitges (on the fantastic side, because it has nothing to do with horror), Toronto, Nevada, Bucheon, in Korea, the European Film Academy, the Annie, the Goya, and the heart of the public.
“My robot friend” (“Robot Dreams”, Spain-France, 2023). Dir.: Pablo Berger. Animation.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
