A. I. Rising - Il futuro è adesso

I'll try to be as objective as possible, therefore even though I am from Serbia I won't give this movie a pass "just because it's ours" or because of its' small budget. Also, no spoilers.

At first I was very surprised by the visuals - the movie started and it looked genuinely good...at first, before you realize that the filmmakers had only 2, maybe 3 small sets and that the film is visually very repetitive (even some of the same shots are used multiple times). That in itself isn't such a huge issue, seeing how there are plenty of films that take place in a single location but they compensate for their visual simplicity with an interesting story and engaging performances, something that's very much lacking here. As for the visual effects, they are ok by early 2000s standards.

The music was good and well implemented. The standout piece for me is Arvo Part's "My Heart's in the Highlands" which was also used in "The Great Beauty" (a good film worth checking out if you're not into conventional films or if you're a fan of Fellini).

The performances are not great. Sebastian Cavazza's performance as the astronaut Milutin is either bad or at best mediocre (I don't know if I can blame him, the director or the poor script for that). Milutin has no real depth and I struggle to describe his personality beyond saying that he's an astronaut with a gruff voice who swears a lot and is horny (oh, and a bit sad, I guess). At one point in the movie we are told that he's severely depressed and if it weren't for that line I would have never guessed that that's where he's at emotionally, you just can't feel it. The few times Cavazza tries to convey emotions that aren't anger and frustration his performance is borderline laughable. Stoya, who plays the part of Nimani, did her job...ok. She plays the part of an emotionless android with a few preprogrammed emotional settings well enough, nothing noteworthy though.

The story is very derivative. If you've seen a film that deals with AI than there's nothing here that you haven't seen before and done way better. The plot is bare bones and shallow with plenty of meandering (albeit aesthetically pleasing) shots of the same 2 (or 3) sets of the ship or of Nimani standing/sleeping/levitating around the ship - shots that don't progress the plot in any way or give any information to the viewer - they're just there to stretch the runtime of the movie. The questions this film raises are raised in other, better movies/TV shows (most notably "Her", "Ex Machina", both "Blade Runner" movies and "Westworld") and done so with more nuance. If you're someone who just wants to watch a movie to pass the time you'll probably find this movie boring and bland, on the other hand if you're someone who wants to experience a deep and meaningful film you'll find it lacking as well.

Following on the success of Ex Machina (2014) and Her (2013), this is an Eastern European version. Done on a very modest budget, the movie had surprising good production values.

The cinematography was artistic, sets were futuristic, and lighting was set for effect.

The movie's bleak tone is similar to Kubrick's 2001. An astronaut grappling with loneliness, with only artificial intelligences for companions.

This plot takes the premise a step further. What about his sexual needs? What kind of social dynamics govern a relationship with an android? Out in space, they are alone.

What would the viewer do if placed in the situation of the protagonist?

The surprise was the casting of pornstar Stoya who turned in a good performance as lover, submissive and sex toy. No blonde bimbo. She has a pretty face and lean body, like the girl next door. Definitely sexy.

IMO, worth a second screening.

This movie might easily be viewed as Ex Machina set in space, and it is similar in enough aspects that it is inevitable that many viewers interpret A.I. Rising as a simple re-telling.

Actually there is much more in the concept for this movie (which is really about the risk of a stilted and limited relationship between a man and woman), but the wooden performance of the male lead (at least while working in English) and the lack of exposition about the company or the mission goals means the viewer has no reason to vest interest in any aspect.

The evolution of the female android is intended to tell us more about how a woman may act in such a situation, but the camera merely observes the action and does not show the people or the moments, so we don't see or feel each moment - only deduce its intent.

The result is a bland clinical relationship movie, set in space, but with no drama or insight.

If the leads and cinematographer of Solaris (2002) were to make this movie, there would be less sex, but much much more sizzle.

A Serbian Film (no not THAT one) about a man on an isolated spaceship, his only companion a female Android. Right off the bat, I have to admit there are specifically two points this SF feature got right: lighting and sound design. These two things genuinely enhanced the atmosphere of the movie and made you engaged in the universe it created. So many big budget SF movies Hollywood pukes out these days just fail to realize the importance of these two attributes in the genre. The premise, coming from a Socialist country, seems a bit .. of a stretch. Apparently , Capitalism is a plague in the future that has even infected whole galaxies and it is up to the ever righteous Ederlezi Corporation to send social engineers to these space colonies to restore normalcy the socialist way. That being said, I really wouldn't have had a problem of they actually fleshed out this premise even more. Instead, the film chooses to mainly concentrate on the chemistry between the cosmonaut and his robot sex partner. Which I guess wasn't bad on its own.

The robot is played by an actual pornographic actress, the beautiful and enchanting Stoya, so there is absolutely no body double or vfx used during the sex scenes. Also, she is naked most of the time even when the script didn't call for a sex scene. However, I admire that her particular athletic,not voluptuous, figure and the incredible lighting actually transcends any sleaziness and gives her a more sublime aura. It helps amplify the other worldliness instead of just being gratuitous nudity.

All in all, considering the low budget, I am very impressed. We genuinely need more atmospheric sci fi instead of another season of Star Trek Discovery.

So this movie was okay... but it could have been so much more. The only reason I didn't turn it off right away is because it set a really good atmosphere with some of the shots and good sound.

Then it kind of devolves into a bland movie with bland acting, could of been really good but it just lost me after 30 mins probably would of excelled as a short film.