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Automation borrows a little bit from movies past such as Chopping Mall, Short Circuit, and even Robocop. That’s not a bad thing at all, in fact, it’s part of what I admired about the film since it was able, to an extent, pay homage as well as sprinkle it with some modern social commentary. While it was the first feature to be directed by Garo Setian, screenwriting duties were shared by Setian, Matthew L. Schaffer (Dirty Lies), and Rolfe Kanefsky (There’s Nothing Out There). While it may not be a perfect film, it is easy to overlook its shortcomings.
AUTO is a robot that was brought in to a company in order to increase efficiency, replacing some of the human staff. The company heads see an opportunity to finally replace all the humans as well as AUTO, with an upgraded version. The robot begins to realize he’s going to be retired and doesn’t know how to process it. He ends up taking matters into his own hands and do what he has to in order to keep his position, by any means necessary.
A film like this really only works if the robot design, voice, or movements, are believable enough to capture the audience attention. Thankfully, AUTO is a unique looking robot and is done by putting a man in a costume. It looks great and actor Jeff J. Knight gives a pretty convincing performance in the suit. His movements are cold and precise and the suit moves as it should. While Knight gives life to the robot with how he moves, Jim Tasker provides the voice. Both performers give life to this creation and they work perfectly in tandem to do so. The cast is an eclectic mix of some of the best performers working in indie film today. Parry Shen, Sadie Katz, Elissa Dowling (who gives one of her best performances), Jeff Rector, Sarah French, and the rest of the cast do what they do best. I have to give a special shout-out to Katz who always goes above and beyond when she gets to sink her teeth into a villain role.
While we are used to the notion of robots replacing humans, it was interesting to see AUTO in that position and how he reacted to it. What I did have a issue with were some of the effects. It was only a minor weakness and most of the practical effects were clever enough to make up what didn’t always work. Overall, it was exciting to watch the birth of a filmmaker who is going to have a career sci-fi fans will want to follow. Despite its shortcomings, Automation is unique enough to stand out and deliver a memorable experience.
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