Leiji Matsumoto & Daft Punk
interstella 5555

There are many mind-blowing movies around, but this one in some ways reminds me of the style adopted by Alan Parker to bring "The Wall" by Pink Floyd to the screen in '82, this time totally animated.

If you don't know the famous Leiji Matsumoto, you didn't have a happy childhood. I'll throw two names at you randomly: Galaxy Express 999\Captain Harlock. A perfect pairing of animation masterpieces.

His film\music video in collaboration with the Daft Punk either you love it or hate it for the reason listed at the start: no dialogue, original story (but also difficult to fully understand, at least on first viewing), flashy colors typical of the fabulous '80s, 14 tracks all taken from "Discovery" (in my very personal opinion, the peak of the Parisian duo).

It turns out to be a visual\musical experiment of 70 minutes that tells the story of a band coming from an unknown planet, populated by blue aliens (are they the Smurfs?) who perform once again their best song, but during the concert they are kidnapped by humans and turned into a new band with guaranteed success. This is thanks to a machine that transforms each member into a human 100%, but sucking away all memories of their previous life; the "Crescendolls" (the name of the group) will discover the bitter truth about their old life thanks to an alien who arrived on Earth (...but there's something between us...)

The music of Daft Punk is often characterized by trippy loops: such is the case with Around the World and Da Funk included in Homework (1997). In Discovery, the more sung parts (which doesn't mean repeating the same phrase indefinitely) and remolded on autotune are present in greater quantity.

Not to mention the change in style, from techno house to 80s synth-pop influences that vaguely remind of AIR (another big French group). The melodies, often repeated almost obsessively, create a unique effect, which is very well compensated by Matsumoto's typical sci-fi style, which at times brings back memories of his old classics.

In conclusion: an incredible musical journey, combined with the fluid and creative animation of the director who manages to perfectly orchestrate sound and image. A film that is unique and worth a viewing, which animation enthusiasts cannot miss.