Reviews & Ratings for
Daft Punk's Electroma More at IMDbPro »Electroma (original title)

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80 out of 90 people found the following review useful:

Beautifully Crafted Silence

Author: Michael Aronson (Mikehoop3) from United States
4 June 2006

I think there is a lot to be said about experimental film. I saw the film on the beach at Cannes, and for all I know, the guys could have been sitting next to me. In a search for a human existence, two robots wander somewhat endlessly until they finally find a way to end it all. The film is making a remarkable statement on today's world. It raises so many great questions, and the only problem is that sitting through two hours of wandering characters takes an audiences expectations to another level. Fellini was able to allow his characters to roam, but in that wandering so much happened, and his characters were intellectually credible. In the case of Electroma, the lack of events is very anti-film. Everything which they have done with this film leaves the audience questioning, why? We love films because of what happens in them, not because of what doesn't happen. I think that Daft Punk's attempt to find something else in this medium is quite brilliant, yet it falls short of entertainment. The visual means in which they reached certain points was incredible, but finding a way through the monotony was difficult for some. The ending was fantastic though, and I wish they push the limits even more in their next take on film.

We are all robots who sculpt our own plastic faces. We are all wandering robots with no place to fit in. Maybe I am analyzing too much, but to go to such realms with out symbolism in some higher meaning would be a waste. Perhaps that is what they were out to do. Perhaps they were just creating a (beautiful) moving painting. Maybe just messing with our heads. Regardless, they were up to something, and we will just have to see what comes next to see whether or not they're full of it.

I do give them credit for the silence. It spoke louder than any music they've ever written.

64 out of 78 people found the following review useful:

Silent Shout!

Author: (Canadarm) from Stockholm, Sweden
23 November 2006

I saw Daft Punk's Electroma late last night at the Stockholm Filmfestival. This was right after seeing Gondry's "The Science of Sleep" which was brilliant! This evening turned out to be a great french evening.. Even though I have always been a big fan of Daft Punk's music, especially their live performances, I didn't really think that I would enjoy Electroma that much, but I was wrong! I was really touched by this story of two Robots (the members in daft punk) trying to become human. The theme is similar to that of their latest album "Human After All". It reminded me of Kubrick/Spielberg's "A.I", but Electroma is much more symbolical and humans play a less important role. The movie depicts the robots desire to be unique and human, and just like "Stalker" and other Tarkovsky movies the scenes are very long and for the most part there is no music just background noise, this made me really get into the movie. The whole movie is fantastic but the high rating is mostly due to the ending which is crazy good! I don't know if Daft Punk's robot-era is over after this movie, but I'm looking forward to seeing more stuff from them.

This is probably a movie that many people might find boring because it is a very silent and slow movie (heard a guy in front of me snoring..) but give it a chance... The french are not as stupid as the look!

oh and the music is not daft punk, but I heard some Brian Eno and Curtis Mayfield, overall the music choices were excellent! Merci;)

43 out of 49 people found the following review useful:

Daft is deft

Author: soccergoon13 (soccergoon13@hotmail.com) from United States
1 April 2007

If you're a fan of Daft Punk you aren't automatically going to like this movie. And if you're not a fan of Daft Punk you aren't automatically going to dislike it. No music by Daft Punk. No dialog or flashing helmet text. Ambient sound. And Curtis Mayfield.

Electroma plays like a festival art film, yet it's more accessible to the audience than the "Cremaster" movies and more thoughtful and varied than "Zidane". In essence, the movie comprises five set pieces. It opens with a drive through the desert, then a town. The second set involves becoming human. They then re-enter the robot world in a Frankenstein-esquire reversal, playing off of Icarus. The fourth part brings the sad realization of returning to robotic roots. Fifth, they walk through a desert, which comprises the longest part of the film.

I recommend it for the art-house/festival crowd. No dialog, an atypical plot-line, and lengthy sweeping pans will certainly turn away some fans. It is pretentious to a degree, I won't deny it, but compared to Cremaster (an unfair comparison, yes, but it's the most widely seen), Electroma doesn't require pre-emptive knowledge for the deciphering of the symbols, which tells you what you're watching. You can absorb it without extreme cerebral input.

It's slow. Like Tarkovsky or Herzog. Don't expect hyperactive techno robots.

You'll be hard-pressed to find this film, as Daft Punk does not intend to ever release this film on DVD. See it at a festival or snag a bootleg. It's worth the time.

29 out of 35 people found the following review useful:

A visually hypnotic and surprisingly touching film by electronic music legends!..not for the attention challenged.

Author: alisoncolegrooveq from Australia
25 July 2007

It doesn't bother me in the slightest whether people think this film references others or not. That's irrelevant because it just works - it's delightfully simple, beautifully shot, visually arresting and surprisingly poetic.

Part of the charm of this film is both the fun (the makeover) and then the quite moving climax in the desert. It works against all your expectations of Daft Punk (and their music) and in many ways this is what makes this also quite special. The choice of music is sublime, and the pace itself becomes quite hypnotic. In fact the pace seems to be one thing that people use to critique this film as though it's somehow pretentious..which itself is an absurd and dimwitted comment really, because the playful charm of the silent characters themselves is anything but pretentious. Hell, if that's pretentious, the world needs a lot more of it because we are drowning in the bile spewing from the Hollywood trough.

As an older Daft Punk fan, probably more in tune with their own age and tastes i loved this film. Also worth a mention that there's a very Kubrick-esquire 2001 look to one scene (thumbs up there!)

Ignore the doubters. Sit back and immerse yourself in Electroma. In time this will definitely considered a classic concept film by one of the more innovative electronic artists of our age.

Human After All

17 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

A focused, if magpie-like sci-fi meditation

Author: Framescourer from London, UK
6 August 2007

A spellbinding, if not entirely original sci-fi/art-house featurette. The story concerns two youthful robot outsiders trying to find their place and purpose in their world. There is no dialogue.

Electroma is less experimental than you might expect. There is a strong narrative, albeit played out in a sequence of echt-music video stylised set-pieces. This could well be a 'Directors' Label Movie' for all that one can see the imprint of Michel Gondry (prosthetic/robot helmets, large heads), Spike Jonze (suburban humour and the final pyroshot) and Chris Cunningham (bleached white soulbernetics and horroroticism). Indeed, a 'Chris Cunningham' is credited as the steadicam operator...

Much though I enjoyed this game of spot the director however, it's important to try and assess the film on its own merits. Daft Punk's own music doesn't feature. Their technical contribution is to DJ the soundtrack, filling the gap between dialogue and narrative. The music's fairly effective in telling the story of the two characters, if - like the metaphors of the episodes - a little contrived. Above all I enjoyed the cinematography, the loving filming of the sub-Walkabout journey across the Californian desert. The costume and studio lighting design is also of a premium standard. With this attention to detail and the rigorous, trance-like rhythm of the film one might profitably compare Electroma with 2001: A Space Odyssey. It certainly deserves it. 7/10

8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Destined for a mild cult following

Author: Samantha from New York
18 May 2008

If anything, Electroma should be taken just like any other experimental, art-house cinema film. This is borderline impossible when it's not just Electroma, but "Daft Punk's" Electroma, the tag line is "It's a Daft Punk vision" and you've got the Daft Punk logo emblazoned on the back of the two protagonists' jackets. For this, I feel like the film falters from a bit of ego, but just think how much worse it would've been if they'd used their own music.

That being said, as a so-called art-house picture, Electroma is okay. There isn't much plot to follow and the "HUMAN" license plate is about as trite as calling this an interpretation of the difficulties of fitting into society, but in terms of something to look at, it's really really gorgeous. Considering Bangalter had little to no experience in cinematography prior to this, he's done a fantastic job. Each shot is quite beautiful in its own way, aesthetically speaking, particularly the final one.

What I'm trying to say is, don't go into Electroma expecting brilliance, because it isn't. Take it for what it is: a mildly pretentious if not borderline dull, yet visually stunning piece of celluloid. It's ripe for interpretation (or none at all) which will grant it some sort of cult following. Hopefully a midnight-film of sorts.

P.S. The soundtrack they did choose complements the film perfectly. And if "the" notorious desert close-up scene doesn't get this passed around film circles for years to come, I don't know what will.

8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Brilliant

Author: Fayt08 from United States
9 June 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This movie I think does a great job of showing what it is like to (in this world)find a way to express yourself. After doing a lot of after thought of this movie I came to think that is what they wanted you to see over all. The movie, which is very unconventional can be very unsettling to other people who aren't very open minded, and if you notice in the movie the hero robots were seen as the same.

In my life experience i would say that if i showed this to a certain group of people i know (very closed minded) they would have a very negative response to it.There negative response would be seen as a kind of attack at the film makers, not having the ability to accept this kind of difference there minds would chase it to the end and hope that nothing like this would ever be made again because it would be seen as different.

On the other hand someone as open minded as myself would look at this movie as a sort of life story, the frustration of wanting to be different and never truly fitting in and in turn ending at a point early on like so many of wanting to end there own life, never being completely able to do it them selves, either having someone else helping them "self destruct" or as the second robot did having bring themselves by creating there own destructions indirectly.

Daft Punk must have noted in this story about the deaths of young artists who never felt they fit in and ending there lives young, like Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and so many others do to there own frustration.

I saw the car ride at the beginning as a kind shot to the people of hey, were cool were different were gonna change things here, and the people did nothing and ignored them almost completely as the one robot with the newspaper glanced at them then looked away. They decided they needed to change there image even more to be noticed. Then when they entered the town and felt full confident in there new appearance they seemed to be fine, and as they noticed the townspeople despise there appearance it made them feel like idiots and made them feel disgusted with themselves. After running from those who feared change, which i thought was ironic as the townspeople all seemed to be some artistically devoid town. They felt that they too were ridiculous when they finally shed there self expression in the bathroom. After which they felt as outcasts of the world, constantly walking nowhere feeling as though they were missing something, when they truly were only missing themselves which they could no longer find.

After feeling that there was no hope left there only decision was that they should kill themselves because there were none like them, and that they would never be able to find themselves again. Each death is unique, the first death of the self destruction was a quick way out, an overdose maybe, or fast suicide. The other death was the fire which could be seen as anger, or even mental insanity building leading to a final death and a complete darkness.

I don't know thats what i saw, I may be wrong but thats what this movie told me, you could pick at it in an ignorant way, saying director did this effect and music that, and location this, and film era that, but i think they wanted you to truly look past that and find its true meaning.

5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Rather Unexpected

Author: rob-tyler-631-892963 from United Kingdom
10 January 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I was not sure what to expect from this film, a top music duo produce a film which looked rather egotistic yet i found once the 'experience' had begun i was transfixed and couldn't take my eyes from the screen.

The film shows a definitive post-modern aspect. Is it really a representation of how we all are indeed equal under the facade we present to the world all struggling to be unique and different, it's all been done before and nothing anyone does makes them different.

All in all the film was a new one on me. A silent film with beautiful scenes and themes. A definite recommendation but not preferably one i would put on to entertain guests!

5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Kinda cool but a bit too slow in parts

Author: robotbling from Canada
4 December 2011

(www.plasticpals.com) Electroma is the story of two robots (Daft Punk) who break from the norm to express their inner individuality in a world populated by robots, with disastrous consequences. This is an experimental film with no dialog whatsoever, running a generous 74 minutes, and some people may feel it drags on a bit in parts. Even fans of Daft Punk may be left scratching their heads since it doesn't feature their music but, supposedly, it syncs up with their album Human After All ala Pink Floyd/Wizard of Oz. If you are not into experimental film you will probably much prefer their animated excursion, Interstella 5555, which I highly recommend.

I haven't tried synchronizing it to their album but I enjoyed it just fine, though it should be said I'm a fan of unusual movies. The photography is very professional considering they are amateur film makers, and there's enough here to keep your interest, all without the need for words. I hope they'll continue exploring their visual creativity through cinema in the future, and if it sounds like something you might enjoy, check it out.

6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

Arresting imagery if a bit thin

Author: runamokprods from US
29 September 2011

A bit pretentious, a bit obvious, overlong, even at 74 minutes (this would have been a brilliant 40 minute short), but still full of arresting images and surprisingly emotional moments.

Influenced heavily by Kubrick, Antonioni and most of the great 60s and 70s visualists, this is a wordless film about two robots who want to become human. The action is minimal. The opening drive through the desert alone takes a good 15 minutes.

But it's wonderfully shot, and the use of eclectic source music as score (Brian Eno, Curtis Mayfield, etc) is interesting, if sometimes a little too self-conscious or intrusive.

I doubt there are more layers to be found on repeated viewings, I think it is what it is: an experimental film more full of image than story or ideas. A 74 minute, interesting rock video.

But every time I'd head toward terminally bored, an image or feeling would reel me back in...

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