Daft Punk July 09 2008

The story of two robots’ quest to become human, Electroma is exactly what you would expect from a film directed and co-written by Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo. (Yes, it is roughly the same plot as A.I., but don’t worry; there are no animatronic teddy bears or Jude Law). Arriving in a nameless American town where everybody else is also a robot, the pair goes into a laboratory and has oversized human faces molded onto their robot heads. But the sun quickly melts these masks, and they retreat in shame. The film evokes 2001 in its themes and pacing, and contains not a shred of dialogue. Unfortunately it takes ... forever ... for ... anything ... to ... happen. And, even worse, the movie doesn’t feature any Daft Punk music. Though often compellingly surreal, comical and even shocking, Electroma is the kind of thing that will play better on the walls of dance clubs than in private home viewings. 3 stars.