Robot Dreams: Pablo Berger’s animated drama is, simply put, a lovely experience. It follows a Dog in mid-1980s New York that, this being New York, feels lonely, and finds solace in his friendship with a Robot; a sudden separation keeps both of them wondering how they can be reunited and how things will be. It’s a touching tale of friendship, simple but effective. The character design keeps things clean, but some details (such as the tail-waggling, for instance) are delightful, adding to the charm. The recreation of New York City is marvelous, with all its dynamism and diversity, very colourful and detailed. The film contains no dialogue, and it is a masterclass of very clearly displaying its emotional content with the use of images and a very effective sound design. Music (by Tom Howe and Alfonso de Vilallonga) is naturally a very relevant piece of the puzzle, and both the original score and licensed songs are used to great effect.