Electroma (2006)

Directors:

Thomas Bangalter
Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo

Writers:

Thomas Bangalter (written by) &
Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo (written by) ...

Release Date:

24 March 2007 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It's a Daft Punk vision...

Plot:

Follows the history of two robots, the members of Daft Punk, on their quest to become human.

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Desert | Highway | Silence | Fire

Cast

Peter Hurteau	...	Hero Robot #1
Michael Reich	...	Hero Robot #2
Helena Stoddard	...	Woman
Vance Hartwell	...	White Room Technician # 1
Lilo Tauvau	...	White Room Technician #2 (as Lilo Tauvao)
Ken Banks	...	White Room Technician #3
Howie Adams	...	White Room Technician #4
Ritche Lago Bautista	...	Robot Groomsman (Town Cast) (as Ritchie L. Bautista)
Amir Bokhari	...	Town Cast
Alina	...	Town Cast (as Alina Bolsakova)
Jordan Bonson	...	Town Cast
Bradley Schneider	...	Robot Lawyer (Town Cast) (credit only)
Joshua Calhaun	...	Town Cast
Bradley Davis	...	Town Cast
Alan Deane	...	Town Cast

Also Known As:

Daft Punk's Electroma (International: English title)

Runtime:

USA:74 min | Argentina:94 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

France | USA

Language:

None

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Barstow, California, USA

Company:

Daft Arts

Trivia:

The car the two heroes drive is a 1987 Ferrari 412.

Soundtrack:

String Quartet in E Flat Major Op. 64, No. 6

A focused, if magpie-like sci-fi meditation

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