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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
uneven but often intriguing anthology, February 21, 2005
In the four-part anthology film "Robot Stories," writer/director Greg Pak examines the role that technology plays in modern life, pondering the age old quandaries of what is real and what is synthetic and whether or not technology can truly enhance our lives. Knowing a good thing when he sees it, Pak has chosen to utilize many of the same cast members - largely Asian - for each of the unrelated episodes.
The first story, entitled "My Robot Baby," takes place in the not too distant future when couples who are looking to adopt a child are first sent home with a fully computerized and monitored, "simulated" baby that they have to take care of for a brief period of time (this is a more elaborate version of what many high school Health teachers do with their students to convince them of just how much work caring for a newborn can be). How the participants do on this "test" helps to determine their fitness as parents and their eligibility for getting a "real" child in the future. This segment is both creepy and witty in roughly equal measure. In the well acted and touching second episode, "The Robot Fixer," a young man lies brain dead in a hospital after he is run over by a car. His mother and sister, who have long been estranged from the man, spend their time reconstructing his collection of beloved toy robots as a way of coming to terms with who he really is. This is the only section that deals not with futuristic technology per se but with the part technology plays in our imaginations and fantasies. The third installment, "Machine Love," is probably the most conventional of the quartet, about how even two robots - in this case, two office "workers" - need a little love in a cold, uncaring world. It's a theme that has been explored in virtually every film involving robots since "Metropolis" in 1927. "Clay," the fourth and most thoughtful segment, takes us to a future world in which people, rather than dying, become somehow absorbed into a giant "system" that allows them to live on in holographic form. A dying sculptor is forced to choose between this kind of virtual "eternal life" devoid of tactile sensation, or taking his chances with a more natural albeit uncertain existence in the great beyond.
As with many anthology films, "Robot Stories" turns out to be better in parts than it is as a whole, with certain episodes inevitably proving to be more imaginative and more captivating than others. Moreover, the twenty-odd minute length allotted for each section doesn't allow for the kind of depth and resonance one finds in more fully developed feature length movies. Nevertheless, given the constraints of the format he has chosen, Pak has mounted an impressive little product, taking advantage of his miniscule budget to adopt a subtle, low-keyed approach to a subject that, given less limited resources, might otherwise have become top heavy with special effects. The acting - particularly on the part of the older actors in the cast - is outstanding. "Robot Stories" may not satisfy the demands of the average sci-fi aficionado, but those in search of something different may enjoy it.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
good, old-fashioned science fiction, February 28, 2005
I had the pleasure of catching this film at a few film festivals over the years and found that the viewing experience improved each time, as small nuggets of ideas continued to reveal themselves. I won't bother with the synopsis as others have done so well here already, so I'll get straight to my impressions of the film and this DVD.
I treat this film a little differently than most studio releases, because it was truly an independent film. The budget was raised independently, the film garnered most of it's marketing via the film festival circuit (winning over 35 awards along the way!), and it was distributed on a limited theatrical run across the country, completely by the filmmakers. So it really has an underdog current to it, which in my book earns extra consideration. I have also had the pleasure of meeting the writer/director Greg Pak and found him to be exceedingly gracious, humble and intelligent. (Mr. Pak is famous, or infamous, for having 2 of the most popular short films online, All Amateur Ecstasy and Asian Pride Porn, both very clever in their inception and execution.)
The first thing of note is that this is an anthology of four short films loosely, but very consciously, tied together by human experiences. The amazing thing is that all four films are quite strong by themselves. For anyone who is familiar with the short film circuit, it is not easy to produce four strong short films in a row. They are often a hit and miss endeavor. Whatever advantages are gained by avoiding one long feature-film production, are balanced by the challenges (both logistically as well as narratively) of four short films shot in succession as part of a self-contained anthology. Parenting, marriage, parent-child relationships, office politics, love, and immmortality are major themes in these films. Then there are the smaller subthemes about transference, human physicality, creation, expression, boundaries, and more. Very impressive for a first feature. The tone is at times meditative, frightening, whimsical, and even horrifying, but always engaging. And in general the experience as a whole is very moving.
I was surprised and delighted by the extras on the DVD. There are 3 sets of commentaries all dealing with different aspects of the production, and include the writer/director along with the producers, and many of the lead actors. And they provide a lot of insight into what was going on behind the scenes. Particularly moving is the fact that the first day of shooting in New York City was September 10, 2001. The next day the Twin Towers fell and the filmmakers, being in obvious shock and grief, were in a quandary about whether to continue production or not. The way they reached their decision and the reasons behind it are truly inspiring. Also, on the DVD are deleted scenes and alternate endings, with optional commentary from Greg Pak. I was surprised to learn that a couple of the stories had alternate endings that really put a dramatically different spin on them. Also, there were actually some intentional crossovers of characters, which suggests that perhaps all the stories were occuring in a very real and common time and place. (This would be a little confusing to track though, since some of the characters, acted by the same performers, are obviously not the same people across the stories.)
All in all, I am very impressed by this DVD, given the background of the project and the circumstances in which it came together. I look forward to Mr. Pak's next film.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Robot Fixer, March 5, 2005
"Robot Stories" is a movie that includes within it, 4 stories; all having to do with a robot or some such A.I. technology. Each story focuses on a particular time period in life, beginning from birth and ending in death. The second story deals only with toy robots, but it's the most moving. It deals with a mother comming to accept the loss of her comatose son. Clay, the last story, was also very insightful and interesting. The old sculptor of the story struggles with his obligation to "scan" his brain for the sake of future generations having access to his knowledge or the dignity of a natural death.
This is the kind of science fiction that I love and hope to see more of. It's sci-fi that works to bring out the humane, using it to contrast and make the human experience "pop" to dramatize it to the limit without becoming contrived. "Robot Stories" is a wonderful collection of stories spanning a life of experiences.
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