Ex Máquina

Ex Machina has a very fitting sense of false intimacy. This is done visually as many of the close-ups are seen through glass. No matter how close we get to the subject on-screen, there always seems to be at least one wall of glass between us and it or them. The film also makes a very distinct contrast between it's interior and exterior shots. Outside of the facility is breathtaking landscapes. It is big, beautiful, refreshing and vibrant. Inside seems like an endless futuristic maze of glass, mirrors, plastic, chrome and dim lights. It is clean, cold and claustrophobic. A perfect setting for the subject that is explored in this tight, tense sci-fi thriller.

Ex Machina is the best science fiction film on artificial intelligence since Blade Runner. While Blade Runner is an action thriller that relies more on it's epic visuals to tell it's story, Ex Machina is a dialogue-driven psychological thriller that slowly works it's way under your skin. Thought-provoking and terrifyingly suspenseful, an induced state of paranoia may linger long after the end credits begin to roll.

The less you know going into a film like this, the better your experience will be. Alex Garland has given us a modern science-fiction masterpiece. Performances from all three leads are flawless and every other aspect of the production, from the cinematography to the soundtrack, is perfectly suited for the story. Not only is Ex Machina an amazing achievement for a directorial debut, it's Alex Garland's best written work to-date.

This is the kind of movie I really enjoy when I think about science fiction. Movies that make you think if we should continue trying to progress even more. Are we not already smart enough with everything we have? With all our daily gadgets that we can't miss for one second. Do we really need artificial intelligence? Because let's face it, once that will be concrete then we won't do a thing by ourselves anymore. We will send our robots to our job, we will chose and model our life partner like we want them to be. The story of Ex Machina might be futuristic but I certainly can imagine it like that in the future. All actors were good in their respective roles. For a movie that is filmed at the same spot all the time you certainly don't get bored for a second. Nice science fiction like there should be more of them.

Ex Machina (2015)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

A different sort of science fiction film, a programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) wins what is basically a lottery to go and spend a week with his company's owner (Oscar Isaac). The owner, Nathan, pretty much created a search engine but he's gone a step further by creating an artificial intelligent woman named Ava (Alicia Vikander) who the programmer is supposed to examine and question.

EX MACHINA pretty much came out of nowhere and became a good hit across the world and I'm rather shocked that it did. Usually dumb science fiction movies with a lot of mindless actions are the ones that make money and not those that features very little to no action and instead just dialogue and thought. What really sets this film apart is the fact that it asks more questions than anything else and it expects the viewer to think about those questions and the impact that certain actions could have.

The visual style of the film is quite impressive and it's certainly a very interesting film to just look at. The music score is quite haunting and perfectly captures the mood of the film. There's the terrific cinematography that pulls you into the setting. The special effects are also extremely impressive. I loved the set and the look of this compound but the special effects are the real star. If you didn't believe that you were really looking at and operating with real artificial intelligent creatures then the entire film just wouldn't have the same feeling.

Then there are the performances, which are a major plus. Gleeson pretty much plays the role that is typically a nerd but the film never lowers the character to that simple term and instead makes him a very interesting person. Even the role of the billionaire played by Isaac isn't what you'd typically see and the actor brings a certainly coldness to the part. Vikander is flawless and steals the picture in her role.

EX MACHINA certainly won't be a movie for everyone but it's good to think about the questions that it asks.

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson)

Ex Machina is a thoughtful science fiction about Artificial Intelligence, whereby, to no fan's surprise, the current female robot, Ava (Alicia Vikander), has human qualities that cause trouble for inventor, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), and visitor, young Caleb. If you know anything about these stories, you could write the screenplay, but you'd need these actors to make it the impressive sci-fi it is.

Poets and philosophers have been intrigued by just this story about AI gone astray after interacting with humans. The Frankenstein motif is alive and dangerous, and the spirit of Spike Jonze's Her, with the seductive operating system, is very much a part of Ava's approach to Caleb. The destructive force of Nathan's creation is more subtle than in Dr. Frankenstein's creation, but menacing nevertheless: "Isn't it strange, to create something that hates you?" Ava to Nathan

Brainy Nathan has a compound somewhere in an Alaskan refuge as modern as could be with ID cards and glass walls and doors to give the impression of peace and transparency. Caleb is chosen to help Nathan use the Turing Test to judge the quality of the AI-human experience.

As in real life, nothing is as it appears because neither Nathan nor Ava can refrain from lying. Yet, even Caleb is drawn into lies as he gets closer, even romantically, yikes! to Ava. Once again for science fiction, as soon as the robot gets to enjoy being like a human, trouble ensues. However, even if this film seems like a retread, say, of Never Let Me Go, very few filmmakers could match the ultra modern, yet still sexy, set design. And Isaac's character is so mercurial, at once comforting then tyrannical, that the film could be remembered if only for his star turn as the mad but charming scientist.

After all, Ex Machina is as much about a scientist playing God as it is about the bridge between robot and man. Each topic could, and has been, treated on its own. Here it is an exciting return to modern man as god and monster:

"I am God." Nathan

A wealthy CEO and pioneer of AI enlists the help of employee Caleb, to see if his latest creation, Ava, can pass off as human, The Turing test.

It remains a pretty great watch still, of course it's pure sci fi, but it's a glimpse into a future scenario that seems to be perfectly feasible, you need only Google AI, and you'll see some incredible content, good or bad, after this film you may change your opinion.

This film is so intriguing, I find it quite unique, it's disturbing, but more than that it's a story of paranoia, of power, but in a bizarre way it's a story of hope as well. It's pure fantasy, it's almost like a Disney story rehashed and turned into sci fi, it's crazy at times, but it works.

The special effects and visuals are incredible, Ava looks amazing, she's different enough, but has enough human qualities to allow you to engage with her human side.

It's quite dialogue heavy, it's not a typical action sci fi, so fans that enjoy the faster paced, action driven movies may find it slower at times, but if you're into movies with twists and turns, tension, psychological thrillers where character development is important, I think you'll enjoy this.

The three main actors are all excellent, you can't put a pin between them, each of the three really deliver, every character gets under the skin, in a way I never expected.

This film never fails to impress, 8/10.