In “Klara and the Sun,” the titular protagonist played by Jenna Ortega is an artificial friend waiting to be adopted by a human seeking validation/companionship/comfort. Instead, she finds herself in the company of two individuals in desperate need of consolation. One is a genetically modified young lady named Josie (Mia Tharia) striving for perfection to the point of exhaustion, and the other is her bereaved and demanding mother Chrissie (Amy Adams). Klara is a helpless spectator but is certain her trusted pal and only source of nourishment—the Sun—will help her find a solution.
Misled by its marketing, I expected “Klara and the Sun” to be sappy and corny fare. However, the movie (an adaptation of the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro) surprised me with its depth in exploring complex /themes, particularly love and loss. Its colourful, jovial visuals play a pivotal role in storytelling too, serving as a stark contrast against a sombre score by Michael Giacchino.
Taika Waititi Doing What He Does Best
Ever since Taika Waititi’s debut feature “Boy” and the Oscar-nominated short “Two Cars One Night,” the filmmaker has specialised in works examining ‘absent parent syndrome.’ His films often explore the tumultuous relationship between a yearning child and a negligent or absentee parent. This again is reflected in “Klara and The Sun” via the mental as well as physical pain engulfing both Josie (who is fatigued by the ‘lifting’ process that was used to ‘redesign’ her), and Chrissie.
The estranged pair struggles to reconnect, despite living in a utopia where travel is seamless due to self-driving, voice-activated cars. Yet it’s a place where family counselling and grief therapy are seemingly unheard of. Despite Chrissie’s physical presence, she is mentally checked out of her daughter’s life. The film depicts this well in a scene of her breaking for a short vape session while the talented Josie plays the piano for guests, finding it unbearable to remain in the same room as her. Chrissie prefers to stand outside and listen to the music wafting from the room or rely on Klara’s mimicry of Josie instead.
Examining the Incompleteness Within Us
“Klara and The Sun” also doesn’t sell viewers a cliché ‘you are enough’ message, but rather touches upon an innate sense of incompleteness within humans. Its star-studded cameos convey this message too, with Steve Buscemi appearing fleetingly towards the third act as Capaldi, an expert in the field of manufacturing AI friends for personal needs. As an elderly widower, he advises Chrissie to move on via alternate measures, such as—citing his own creation—an AI replica of his wife. The movie features a fair share of bleak moments, and one of them involves watching Capaldi convincing himself that even if the replica lacks any genuine emotional traits (thus rendering it an incomplete shell), it at least shares a perfect physical likeness to his spouse.
The film further explores a recurring theme of fixing imperfections in the pursuit of perfection. This is prominent in Klara’s tic of balancing herself on one leg like a flamingo or her obsession with the Sun, whom she speaks and prays to. Another instance is the the manager of the Artificial Friends store narrating the plot of “Grease” to her robots like it’s a bedtime story, complete with the problematic subplot of Sandy changing herself for a man. In another instance, the fastidious Chrissie won’t settle for ‘lesser’ when it comes to both humans and machines. She openly expresses disdain at Josie’s fixation with an older model of an Artificial Friend rather than the high-end variants flooding the market. It’s another time she doesn’t understand her daughter. She is an old soul, even using a polaroid camera during one montage).
Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega Excel
Amy Adams aptly captures the callousness of a mother paranoid about losing her daughter, yet who is simultaneously responsible for robbing Josie of her metaphorical glow. Her character Chrissie, the ‘artificial mother,’ would probably give Alamein, the emotionally manipulative dad in “Boy,” a run for his money too. As Josie, Mia Tharia complements Adams, and the flaring tensions between the pair is compelling to watch. AI definitely won’t be stealing Jenna Ortega’s job any time soon. Ortega is a dedicated performer, thoroughly unsettling yet at once quite endearing as Klara. In an inspired casting choice, Natasha Lyonne (who recently co-founded an AI film studio) plays the caring and simultaneously corrective store manager.
While heavily under-utilised, Kiwi icon Rachel House lends some comic relief with her witty quips and disapproving glances as Melania, the cynical housekeeper who isn’t keen on being replaced by artificial intelligence. Aran Murphy and Jessie Griffin (I initially mistook the latter for Waititi regular, Rhys Darby) also leave an impression in supporting acts. Aran plays Rick, the friendly boy genius next door who offers free piggyback rides and a sentient scaredy-cat scarecrow respectively. I particularly enjoyed the camaraderie between the trio of Rick, Klara and Josie, although an attempt at introducing a love triangle subplot felt out of place.
A Grounding Message
Despite the polarising reviews it’s gained so far, “Klara and the Sun” deserves to be lauded for a grounded message on how working through one’s issues is an ongoing process. There is no cheat code nor mathematical formula or any such artificial substitute for human emotion. Ultimately, it is a realistic study of why individuals look for validation or love elsewhere or in another form such as ChatGPT in today’s digital dystopia. As genuine human bonds disintegrate or become a thing of the past, it is a reminder to communicate and build better, stronger bonds with one’s loved ones while we still can.
