KSL Movie Show review: ‘Robot Dreams’ is a beautiful, simple film
Jul 12, 2024, 1:00 PM | Updated: Aug 5, 2024, 1:41 pm
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SALT LAKE CITY — There are occasions where films are shown to critics that end up never seeing the light of day. I thought that was the case for “Robot Dreams,” since I saw it late last year, where it was eventually nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar. It didn’t win. Hayao Miyazaki’s epic anime production of “The Boy and the Heron” did. But that was the last I heard about it. Until now.
So I’m actually overjoyed to recommend this beautiful, simple film to a mostly arthouse crowd because it is such a powerful story about friendships, fate, the need for companions or just others to be with and around.
Why an arthouse crowd, you ask?
It’s about a dog and a robot living in New York City in 1984. So?
There is no dialogue. Oh, I see.
So how can it be such an incredible movie if nobody says anything?
It’s the power of great storytelling through actions and sounds, not words. I promise, you won’t even miss them.
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Dog lives alone in his Manhattan apartment. He sees a late-night TV ad for a robot – some assembly required. It arrives. He puts it together. They become fast friends and have this wonderful summer in the Big Apple. All is terrific.
On the last day of the season, Dog and Robot go to the beach, splash around in the water and then take a snooze in the warm sand. They wake up. Everyone else has gone home, but the salt water has rusted Robot’s body parts and he can’t move. Unable to get him off the beach, Dog heads home, determined to grab some tools and return to the beach the next morning to retrieve his friend.
Only yesterday was the last day the beach was open. It wouldn’t reopen until the following June 1! No way Dog is going to wait that long, as he makes several attempts to return to the beach, only to be turned away by authorities.
He has no choice but to wait it out . . . and in the meantime, Robot has dreams.
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I’m going to stop here, because what transpires from here on out, is pretty extraordinary, especially considering this is an animated feature. I was so deeply moved by what happens next, that I could hardly believe my eyes – which were mostly moist – from stupid pollen of course.
It has been more than six months since I watched “Robot Dreams.” Recalling it now is bringing back a flood of emotions that I rarely experience even in regular “people” movies. I hope you have a similar experience.
ROBOT DREAMS (A) Not rated. No words, but sounds were made by voice actor Ivan Labanda. Co-written and directed by Pablo Berger (“Abracadabra” “Blancanieves”) – produced by Arcadia Motion Pictures. Running time: 103 minutes.
