(via I’M HERE – A LOVE STORY IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD)
“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” Is the question posed by Philip K Dick in his eponymous short story on which Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner was based: an examination of what it means to be human that has gone down in film history for its mixture of powerful visuals and notable insight.
Spike Jonze tackles the same theme in this short film available to watch now. He brings his unique perspective to the debate and illuminates us in a style all his own. Both directors take an urban setting with which we can all claim some familiarity and transform it into a character in its own right. Los Angeles is darker and more disturbing in Scott’s vision but Jonze’s take is no less evocative. He allows us to really inhabit the movie world. Even if you’ve never visited LA we’ve all stood at a bus stop, walked into a concert or stood in a silent apartment. His framing and editing really puts you right there.
Jonze treats his players with the same respect and invites you to share their experience. With well-mannered vfx and terrific performances from the actors underneath he brings tenderness to a relationship that is fraught with difficulty for a director seeking the audience’s sympathy. Love between robots should be desperately awkward to put on screen but Jonze pulls it off with confident self-assurance. I challenge anybody to watch this and not feel something - it’s not just for trekkie sci-fi geeks.
Still, he manages to hint at a dark side to love in the female character. I found myself wondering if I really liked her as she continues to throw caution to the wind, apparently taking for granted that she will get bailed out every time. There’s an element of selfishness and exploitation in the relationship between the two lovers which Jonze leaves deliberately ambiguous.
My favourite line in the film; when they go to bed and he plugs her in to the recharger:
“Am I doing it right?”
“Perfect,” she purrs.
A very impressive short film from Jonze with an interesting take on finance and distribution model.
