Spike Jonze, the writer/producer/director responsible for last year’s awe-inspiring Where the Wild Things Are, has since released his first love story: a short film in collaboration with Absolut Vodka about the give and take relationship between two robots. In a world where humans and robots co-exist, Sheldon (Andrew Garfield) is the lonely librarian robot who falls in love with Francesca (Sienna Guilleroy), a newer model robot who makes a habit of falling and severely damaging her body.
Ultimately an emotional tale of altruism, I’m Here explores the selfishness and selflessness of one particular relationship, documenting the repercussions of one’s actions through a dramatic yet entirely believable story. What is perhaps most surprising is how effective the actors are in revealing their emotions, with a robot’s exterior to contend with. Body language is used to perfection throughout, with facial expressions playing a key part in selling this convincing love story.
Beautifully shot, intelligently acted and extremely moving, this one comes highly recommended. Watch I’m Here at the official website; just make sure you get in there quick because Absolut has ensured that the virtual screenings are limited to a certain amount of viewings per day.
