Ex Machina (2015) Review!!

Synopsis – A young programmer is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.

My Take – An artificial intelligence dealing with emotions is something we all have seen before! Films like Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” and Spielberg’s “AI” are the ones which come to mind at 1st & most recently in Wally Pfister’s directorial- flop, Transcendence. Yet, in my opinion this film stands all together in a different arena. Unlike others this film is more of a dialogue-driven psychological thriller that slowly works it’s way under your skin. This serves the story well, cramping up the tension as an age old Sci-fi plot-point emerges (as covered by the trailer): how will a sentient machine feel about having its plug pulled. The film has a simple story dealing with a deeply complex and philosophical topic: namely what makes humans human, you know the feelings & emotions. The story follows Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), an employee at BlueBook, the world’s ‘leading search engine’, who wins the Golden Ticket to spend a week with Nathan Bates (Oscar Isaac), the genius creator & owner of the company. Bates lives in the middle of the American wilderness and is leading a one-man research project into the development of an Artificial Intelligence – Ava (Alicia Vikander). Nathan needs Caleb to become the human side of his Turing test before introducing her to the world. The film clinically walks through the sessions between Caleb and Ava, watched over by Nathan via the villa’s comprehensive CCTV system. The only other significant character in the film is Nathan’s house maid Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), who neither understands nor speaks English so drifts silently around offering various ‘services’.

The less you know going into a film like this, the better your experience will be. The film 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. Director Alex Garland has given us a modern science-fiction masterpiece. He is of course best known as a writer, having penned the novel of “The Beach” and the screenplays for films including “28 Days Later”, “Sunshine” and “Never Let Me Go”. Garland has written this film in a way that plays on our wonder of scientific possibility as well as our inherent fears of robots and the future. We can’t help but question what happens and what doesn’t happen during the film, creating a specific feeling of tension akin to horror. The film’s location, in an isolated, constricting compound in the mountains that can only be reached via helicopter, only adds to the feeling of impending doom. The film’s color palate adds to the feeling as well- the foggy, almost smoky wash when the camera is on a human, then clean and clear when focusing on an artificial being. Whether or not it was intentional, it certainly adds a dimension and a contrast to the film. I’m fascinated with Garland’s continued interest in the constructs of society, and how theoretical situations affect human beings in his work. In Sunshine, he sees an interesting dynamic within the pressures of saving humanity and our human natures. In 28 Days Later, he again puts human nature to the test in the wake of an apocalypse. Ex Machina is yet another test of our theoretical resolve, and I for one don’t believe his result is far from the theoretical truth. As he put it himself, this film is designed to emulate a future not too far from now, maybe ‘ten minutes out’. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a reclusive “Nathan” currently holed up somewhere with his own “Ava”. For all we know, there may be robots walking among us.

Maybe Garland knows this to be true. It is clear to me that he should continue telling stories, and continue to generate what all excellent science fiction does- questions. Yes! The film does have its set of flaws – some motivations and scenarios remain somewhat underdeveloped or questionable which (in my opinion) kinda gave out the ending, plus the movie might be too slow for a general audience, as I said this is a movie where ideas shine not action sequences. The performances are excellent, most notably Alicia Vikander as the beguiling Ava, who absolutely passes for being ‘almost human’. Her precise movements -walking, standing or stooping to pull on a pair of stockings- have just that slight tinge of the uncanny about them to suggest a mechanical skeleton, yet she is undeniably seductive. You can really understand Caleb’s mental plight as she begins to show signs of a sexual interest in him! Domhnall Gleeson also delivers a quiet and focused performance as Caleb, which reflects much of the film’s over all style. Like Ava, he is relateable, yet has this slight autistic aloofness about him, in complete contrast to the boorish, reckless Nathan. Isaac shows off a dark side to his growing screen powers and his Nathan is in equal measure sad and dangerous and while the two leads excel, they along with the film itself pale in comparison to Vikander’s star making turn. So awesome! For writer and director Alex Garland, this is actually an impressive directorial debut, by creating one of the most intelligent sci fi thrillers in recent times & raising its three stars to the doors of stardom! On the whole, ‘Ex Machina’ is a stunning Sci-Fi vision that is also a fully formed thinking man’s thriller. With a jaw droopingly good turn from the soon to be star Vikander, the film is another excellent example of what makes the Sci-Fi genre such a harbour of thought provoking classics and further proof that Garland is one of the most consistently good storytellers working in the industry today.