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January 24, 2010
Sundance Review - I'm Here
Spike Jonze.
He is one of the great musician filmmakers of all time.
And what I mean by that is that his work, when you open yourself to it, settles on your soul more like a song than a movie. He’s not infallible, but his films, no matter how unexpected, have a way of connecting directly to your feelings even as they confound your intellect.
His collaborations with Charlie Kaufman speak to this with simple clarity. Michel Gondry is a serious artist and makes beautiful things. And Charlie himself can deliver his vision, as we saw in Synedoche, NY. But somehow, Spike took the brain space of Charlie – one of the great minds in screenwriting history – and softens it so that we all can connect.
When I think of his work, I invariably think of them in a musical way… whether aurally or visually.
His new short, I’m Here, settles into much that same place. It’s a long, slow contemplation on loneliness and the desire for love. It has all the kinds of structural ideas that you would expect from a story of boy and girl. The meet cute, the flirtation, the passion, the challenges to that passion…
Oh. And by the way… the lovers here happen to be robots.
He’s a little square, literally. She is silly and a little reckless, all soft, rounded edges. Robots aren’t allowed to drive cars in the human culture they live in… but she does… a vision of freedom as he rides the dreary bus. She comes to him as he could never come to her.
He is so very much in love, even if he isn’t sure that he knows what that is. But quickly he learns, there are prices to being as free and easy as she is. And he is willing to give up virtually anything to protect her… and that freedom.
And if you walk into this film expected a word of this exposition to be spoken aloud – except that robots aren’t supposed to drive – you don’t know Spike Jonze’s work very well… not only his ability, but his commitment to convey powerful human truths without making it as simple as words… or even using humans to express those feelings.
So… that is the beautiful first third of the film. What else is there?
Like real relationships, it takes time and it goes deeper. It is a young relationship, which reminds us old romantics of our young relationships, whether walking through the forest hand in hand, going to see her favorite band even if it’s not his favorite, and what quickly becomes clear… that she is as willing to take as he is willing to give.
I have to say, though it makes me uncomfortable to do so, that the film seems to be very personal.
SPOILER WARNING
As the second and third act of the short progresses, we experience a relationship in which a man robot literally gives an arm and a leg, so committed to this woman robot… but she barely seems to notice that she is taking so much of him and leaving him crippled. Ultimately, his sacrifice of everything for her turns a corner. Not only is he, in the end, nothing but a head, but he is finally so unable to care for himself that she has to care for him, the last shot of the film reflecting parenthood more than romantic love… which perhaps is his real desire.
Does this reflect a real-life experience of Mr. Jonze or just an idea about the cycle of love and men who are drawn to women who take while the man is endlessly (in his view) willing to give? I have no way of knowing. But given the autobiographical work of his ex, it's an interesting consideration.
END SPOILER
In any case, this is a beautiful short film. There are dozens of images that stick with me. The music by Sam Spiegel and songs by Aska Matsumiya, as well as The Lost Trees is mesmerizing. The sound design by Ren Klyce is loaded with intimate surprises. Adam Kimmel’s cinematography is as beautiful as always. (So looking forward to his work with Mark Romanek, Never Let Me Go.)
The film’s two stars, Andrew Garfield and Sienna Guillory are almost unimaginable playing these roles in their real guises. But they get the tone of their two characters just right.
You may have noticed that I am not terribly interested in celebrating the effects. Well, they are terrific. And the design of the robots, by Sonny Gerasimowicz, who also worked on Where The Wild Things Are, is sublime… almost natural. And that is why it is the last thing I consider on this film. They use a similar technique here as they did on Where The Wild Things Are, though much simpler. Here, only eye and mouths are really animated.
It’s a lovely film… paid for, it seems, by Absolut. I’m not sure why, exactly. But bless them, they allowed some art to be made.
The trailer... (thanks to Ju-osh for suggesting that it be here)
Posted by dpoland at January 24, 2010 11:10 PM
Comments
Eternal Sunshine is still the best thing ever released with Kaufman's name attached to it although Malkovich is a somewhat close second. Adaptation and Human Nature didn't do anything for me.
I'd be interested in seeing this short but I've got to give the edge to Gondry as the more interesting filmmaker.
Posted by: Krazy Eyes ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 25, 2010 07:18 AM
Sounds neat...I was impressed with Jonze's recent short with Kanye West.
Posted by: EthanG at January 25, 2010 08:37 AM
Posted by: Ju-osh at January 25, 2010 11:05 AM
Posted by: Ju-osh at January 25, 2010 11:06 AM
Love Jonze, and I'm really interested to see this ... the whole idea of the robot giving and giving and giving until he's just a head while the object of his adoration takes and takes and doesn't notice (or care) how much he's giving reminds me of one of my fave kiddie lit books, The Giving Tree.
Posted by: Kim Voynar at January 26, 2010 02:10 AM
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