Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb Smith, a computer programmer who wins a company lottery to spend a week with the visionary CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Nathan lives in a beautiful house in the middle of nowhere with only one mute servant named Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno). This is where he conducts cutting-edge research that will add to his genius reputation, and Caleb is eager to see what new discoveries Nathan will share with him. After signing lengthy non-disclosure agreements, Caleb is finally introduced to Ava (Alicia Vikander), a robot equipped with incredible artificial intelligence that makes her nearly indistinguishable from a human. Caleb's task is to have multiple conversations with Ava, engaging in a Turing test to see whether she truly could pass for human.
Ex Machina was an independent film with a small budget and almost all of that money went to designing Ava's look. It's money well spent. Every scene was filmed with and without Alicia Vikander and then digitally altered so her face and hands remain human, but her scalp, arms, and legs are transparent and filled with wires, to remind us that this humanoid entity is only a machine. However, as the movie progresses, Ava starts wearing wigs and clothes, covering up her robot features and convincing Caleb that she deserves all the rights of an actual human being. Her motives are always in question, and it's impossible to tell when the lines between human and robot truly get blurred. It's a phenomenal performance, and Vikander deserves multiple awards for it.
Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson also put in riveting performances as the cold, venal tech billionaire and the intelligent but lowly employee with a bleeding heart. Nathan sees Ava solely as a game-changing invention and is not remotely touched by her humanity. Caleb, however, quickly looks beyond her robotic origins, becoming horrified as he discovers more of his employer's secrets and the inventions that preceded Ava. The movie starts out slow and cerebral, but it ramps up to a bloody and brilliant climax that leaves you reeling in your seat and makes you question whether you can truly tell the difference between good and evil, free will and determinism, human and machine.
Written and directed by Alex Garland, Ex Machina is an example of the scintillating filmmaking that can currently be accomplished with a small budget and technical wizardry. These special effects would have been expensive and impossible in previous years, but now they are dexterously wielded to enhance the look of the film and propel the plot forward. This is an extremely visceral and thought-provoking movie, a modern retelling of Frankenstein that will make you claw at your skin, hold your breath, and debate questions of science, ethics, gender politics, and philosophy. Watch it immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment