Daft Punk
Electroma

What comes to mind if I say Daft Punk? The less experienced might say "disco music," while those slightly informed would say "French DJs who make disco house, the ones who did 'Da Funk' and 'Around The World'," but the most informed would say "They are the two phenomena who have taken disco music to new entertainment levels, using home equipment and 'digital junk'. Daft Punk, meaning 'the Silly Punk, the Junk Punk', are the ones who make us dance with fusions of House/Techno/Pop/metal rhythms."

Well... these two representatives of international electronic music have created something that NO ONE would have ever expected! A cinematic masterpiece! Nothing to do with their previous forays into the world of cinema, such as the famous House Musical "Interstella 5555," a cartoon film featuring Daft Punk's music. Here we are faced with a work that has nothing to do with the music of the crazy electronic duo. So don't expect the usual images accompanied by the usual music to dance to with your friends.

"Electroma" is a masterpiece of images and sounds comparable to a Stanley Kubrick film!

I am amazed that in Italy almost no one has yet dedicated a "substantial" review to this work. Only brief articles and some mini-reviews on a few forums. I would therefore like to express a more substantial opinion and invite everyone to obtain the wonderful French edition of the DVD. It doesn’t matter if you hate Daft Punk, this film will astonish even the most ardent detractors.

The plot is very simple, almost a pretext (at least on the surface, there are indeed several messages to grasp), Daft Punk are two robots dreaming of becoming human beings (in the film they appear as in life, always covered with robot helmets), living with their kind, in a world similar to ours, where there are those who marry, those who take the kids to school, those who shop at the supermarket, and so on, all apparently happy robots, except for the two protagonists. In their artificial hearts, the human instinct starts to beat, and thus, somehow, they try to follow a process of humanization, leaving their kind and setting out on their spiritual journey. A 70-minute odyssey told through astounding images and immersive ambient music.

This magnificent work of art begins with a series of shots of rocky landscapes, from the very first images you can breathe the style of the auteur silent film, no words, just sound effects and music accompanying the images, sometimes absolute silence. Maximum extended filming times and extremely long single takes (among the longest I've seen in a modern film. Especially in this era dominated by Michael Bay's fast-paced editing), some, like the protagonists' walk in the desert, last over five minutes without cuts. Thus, in this Kubrickian scenario, Daft Punk makes their entrance, starting their spectacular and dramatic journey towards humanization. Initially by car, heading to a very modern laboratory where they will attempt physical metamorphosis, and then traveling on foot in the desert... all the shots capturing the journey of the two robots are almost perfect! The blend of computer-generated and real environments yields unprecedented results! It feels like living in a dreamlike and surreal world, the cinematography is sublime! Monstrous light effects and camera movements that border on poetry! A feast for the eyes and ears. You don’t have the slightest impression of facing a product from two disco enthusiasts like Daft Punk, were it not for their look and the writing on the back of their jackets.

This film is a stimulus for the soul. The elongated times make you reflect, allowing time to grasp the messages, the slowness of the filming makes the humanizing process even more dramatic; I don’t want to reveal the ending to the readers but... (skip this part) the film ends in a sad way (try to guess then?), this drama of events is expressed visually and sonically in a colossal way. The viewer will surely be bewildered after the appearance of the end credits; "What did they mean to tell us?" maybe we'll have the answer in 15 years! I think "Electroma" is an avant-garde work and that it will be increasingly re-evaluated over time. But beyond its content value, I absolutely recommend the viewing for its aesthetic side.

One single doubt came to me at the end of the film... how is it possible that two electronic musicians have suddenly crafted such a work? I wouldn’t want the "Daft Punk" brand to be printed only on the title! And maybe the director was someone else! I don't know... I have some doubts. The fact remains that nowadays, films like this are rare! I was happy to watch and review this beautiful feature film.

Now, however, they should change the group's name, because they no longer seem so "DAFT."